I'll Always Love You
by iouaname
Summary: (Pre-OotP) -Sequel to I Knew I Loved You- Now that the Marauders, Lily, and Bella are out of Hogwarts, they faced a whole new world: adulthood. Between a bunch of whole new adventures, they know that they’ll always have each other. -Finished-
1. James's Invitation

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

Summary: Now that the Marauders, Lily, and Bella are out of Hogwarts, they faced a whole new world: adulthood. Between jobs, marriages, fights, and a bunch of whole new adventures, they know that they'll always have each other.

A/N: Hey everybody! Here's the sequel. Thank you so much for all the reviews in the last chapter of "I Knew I Loved You."

I'm sorry it took so long for me to update. I've been so busy. I have a major project that counts big time for my final report card.

To MarauderBabe07: Thank you so much for your review. And I totally agree with you. I did, indeed, rushed a bit in the ending. I was just so anxious to finally end it, that I guess I didn't think much. But then, as you see, Lily is still upset about her parents. Every time they're mention she's always sad. She's just no longer all broken down about it. James helped her through that. But I agree that I could have taken more time and developed it better, and for that, I am truly sorry. That review of yours was really helpful, thank you so much!

I will be posting up my new story in the next few chapters, I'm guessing two or three. Please check it out for me.

Chapter 1

It had been one week since the 7th years graduated from Hogwarts. Lily Evans is getting used to living with her best friend, Arabella Figg, because of the death of her parents. Though Lily is still upset about her parents, she know that moping around won't bring them back and that her parents won't want to see her like that. She only wished that her sister, Petunia, would forgive her for whatever she did wrong. Not since the "freak" letter had Petunia contacted Lily. She tried to send many letters, but each time her owl, Cherry, just return without a reply. Lily wasn't even sure whether Petunia read them or not. And today was not unlike the others.

Lily woke up to a ratter at her window. She went over to let Cherry in.

"No reply again, Cherry?" she asked sadly. Cherry hooted and nipped her finger.

"I figured…I just…just keep on trying, because maybe Petunia will see how sincere I am…and write back…but I…I guess not…" Lily looked miserably out her window, staring at the beautiful summer sky, baby blue with a few fluffy clouds here and there. She saw one that looked like her parents, and one lonely tear fell from her brilliant green eyes. Then she saw a cloud that looked like James…James holding her. She smiled at the thought of him.

"Oh, Cherry…I miss James so much…I wonder when he's going to owl about the visit to his house…" And with one last look at the clouds and a sigh, Lily went down to breakfast.

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"Good morning, Lily," said Mrs. Figg warmly.

"'Morning, Mrs. Figg," Lily replied. "Where's Mr. Figg?"

"Oh, he left for work early today."

"Oh…is Bella still sleeping?"

"Yes. Would you mind waking her up?"

"Not at all." 

Lily went upstairs and knocked on Bella's door. "Bella?" No answer. Lily knocked again. Nothing. Lily pushed open the door. Bella was sleeping deeply in her bed, tangled in her blanket and sheet.

"Bella?" Lily asked, gently shaking her friend.

"Hrmp…mmrp…" Bella mumbled, turning on her side.

"Bella!" Lily said loudly, shaking her a bit harder.

"Limhmeeawonme," Bella said, pulling her pillow over her head. She was supposedly saying, "Leave me alone."

"Bella, come on! Your mum wants you up! Now!" Lily said, pulling the pillow away from her sleepy friend.

"Please, Lily! Just five more minutes!"

"Bella, five more minutes won't make any difference with waking up now. C'mon!" Lily whacked Bella in the stomach with the pillow.

"No," Bella said stubbornly, grabbing the pillow back from Lily and laying her messy-hair head on it.

"I'll give you 'till three. If you don't get up now, you'll face the consequences," Lily warned her. Bella gave a little snore.

"One…two…three…" Lily said. Nothing from Bella. "Oh-kay," Lily continued in a singsong voice. "You asked for it." And Lily took out her wand and dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over Bella. _Splash!_ That pretty much says all. Oh wait, and this:

"ARGH!!" Bella jumped up from her bed, soaking wet. Goosebumps formed in her tanned skin. 

"Lily, are you mad??"

"I warned you. But no--you had to take it the hard way."

Bella magicked herself dry. She then looks up at her almost-guilty friend. "Lily?" she asked sweetly. In fact, almost _too_ sweet.

"Yes, Bella?" Lily replied, just as cotton-candily (a/n: I know this word doesn't exist, but hey--J.K. Rowling and other great authors make up their own words all the time!)

"I have two words for you."

"What--thank you?"

Bella shook her head from side to side and smiled. "Run."

"That's only one word."

"I wasn't finished. I mean to say: run…NOW!!" And Lily took off from her room, Bella right behind her. Bella chased Lily down the stairs and into the kitchen, both laughing like crazy.

"Girls!" Mrs. Figg cried, obviously unimpressed with their childish behavior. "You two are adults now, and should not be behaving in this--this childlike way."

"Sorry, Mrs. Figg," Lily said, looking really sorry. She really appreciate the Figgs' letting her stay and do not want to disappoint them.

"Yeah, sorry, mum," Bella said, though not as sincere as she could've sound.

"It's all right…here's your breakfast," Mrs. Figg said, pointing to some eggs and sausages on the table.

Lily and Bella began eating, and as soon as they did, an owl came flying in. It dropped the letter onto the table. Bella picked it up.

"Lily, it's for you," she said.

Lily looked puzzled. No one had sent her any letters all summer. Could it be Petunia? Lily opened it. No it isn't. It's better. It's--

"James!" Lily cried happily. "It's from James!"

"Open it!" Lily did and read it aloud.

Dear Lily,

Hi. Oh, I've missed you so much. Sirius has been so annoying!-- "That's my man!" Bella cried.--_How have your summer been? Mine have been so boring…Anyway, I'm writing about the visit to my house as we'd plan. I'd already ask my mum. If you can, you and Bella can come next week. The rest of the gang would be here too. Write back as soon as possible. I can't wait to see you! Everyday without have been so meaningless. I think of everyday and dream of you every night…do you of me? _(a/n: okay, after writing this, I realized how corny and fluffy it was. Pardon me, okay?)

Love,

James

"Aw…" Bella said, wiping a fake tear from her eye. "That's so sweet of James!"

"Wait!" said Lily. "There's more!"

P.S. Sirius said hi to you.

P.P.S. Sirius said hi to Bella.

P.P.P.S Sirius said he loves you, Bella.

P.P.P.P.S Oh, by the way, Lily, did I mention that I don't like you anymore?

P.P.P.P.P.S Sorry, Lily. Sirius wrote that and won't let me erase it. I DID NOT WRITE THAT. I love you, Lily.

"Sirius!" Lily cried, as Bella fell out of her chair laughing. "I nearly had a heart attack reading that part. Why does he always have to joke like that?"

"I don't know," said Bella. "But for whatever reason it is, I sure love him like that."

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A/N: Okay, how was that? Please let me know by reviewing. Thanks!


	2. The Reply

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I love you guys so much! You guys rock!

Chapter 2

Lily and Bella finished their breakfast. Bella was about to head upstairs, when Lily held her back.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Duh! Upstairs!" Bella said. "Man, Sirius is right. You are slow!"

"No! I meant, what are you going to do upstairs?"

"To owl James back!"

"Hello? We need your mum's permission!"

"Oh yeah…"

"Now who's slow?"

"Shut up." They burst out laughing.

"Erm…mum?" Bella asked.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Our friend, James, invited us to visit him next week. May we go?"

"Who is this James?"

"He's Lily's boyfriend."

Mrs. Figg looked at Lily curiously. Lily blushed and nodded.

"Okay…" Mrs. Figg continued. "How many kids will be there?"

"Erm…just us two, James, Remus, and Peter…and…and…erm…and my boyfriend Sirius." Bella said this last part hurriedly.

Mrs. Figg raised her eyebrows, but remained silence. "Will there be adult supervision there?"

"Of course. James' parents will be there."

"Okay…. And how long are you planning to stay there?"

"Erm…what do you think, Lily?"

"I don't know…" Truth is, Lily _does_ know. She wanted to stay there forever...she wanted to be with James…. But she's a bit embarrassed to say so.

"Erm…how about…erm…three weeks? A month? Three months?"

"Three _months??_" Mrs. Figg asked, obviously thinking no.

"Two months?" bargained Bella.

"_Two _months??"

"One month!" Bella begged, putting on her best puppy dog face: sad, teary eyes and pouty lips.

Her mum couldn't resist it. "Oh, fine! I give up. You may go. A month it is!"

"Yes!" cried Lily and Bella.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I _hate_ it when you put on that face, Bella. Why do you have to do that?"

"Because, mum," Bella said, giving her mum a hug. "It's my specialty." Then, she and Lily ran upstairs.

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Lily and Bella went to Lily's room. Lily got out some parchments and sat at her desk, while Bella jumped around her bed.

__

Dear James,

__

Oh, I've missed you so much! How are you? How's your summer? I've been waiting so long for your invitation. Anyway, I'm so glad that you've been thinking of me, because I've been thinking of you a lot too. I love you so much, James! I can't wait for the visit to your home. Speaking at that, Bella's mum gave us permission to come already. We can stay there for a month…It's great of her, really, I just wished that I could spend more time with you…Oh, James…It's so lonely without you! _Write back soon…_

Much love,

Lily

P.S. Sirius, I hate you. You shouldn't have joked like that last time. I was really scared, reading that.

"Done!" Lily cried.

"Ooh…" said Bella. "Let me see!" She took the letter from Lily and read it aloud. "'Dear James…Oh, I've missed you so much!'…Aw…that's so sweet! 'How are you? How's your summer? I've been waiting so long for your invitation…' I know!…Why didn't he write sooner?…'Anyway, I'm so glad that you've been thinking of me, because I've been thinking of you a lot too. I love you so much, James!' Dang, Lily! When are you going to get to the point?" 

"Just keep on reading!" Lily said.

"'I can't wait for the visit to your home. Speaking at that, Bella's mum gave us permission to come already. We can stay there for a month…It's great of her, really, I just wished that I could spend more time with you…' Aww…that's so sweet! 'Oh, James…It's so lonely without you!' Hey, what do you mean it's been so lonely? Are you saying that I'm boring?"

"No! Of course not! I just miss him, that's all…" Lily said. 

"Oh…I see…okay then…'Write back soon…Much love…Lily…. P.S. Sirius, I hate you.' Hey! That's Sirius you're talking to! Show some respect; he _is_ my boyfriend!" 

"I was just joking…jeeze…."

"Okay…I understand what you mean though….Sirius can be really cruel sometimes…

'You shouldn't have joked like that last time. I was really scared, reading that.'" Bella laughed. "But can I add some more stuff?"

"Depends on what the 'stuff ' is…"

"Just a little something to Sirius." Bella pulled on her puppy dog face again.

"Okay," Lily said reluctantly. "You know, your mum was right. That face was really hard to say no to."

Bella laughed. "I know," she said modestly.

__

P.P.S. By the way, Sirius, Bella found a new guy.

Bella showed it to Lily. Lily laughed. "Are you really going to put that?"

"Why not?" Bella smiled devilishly.

"It seems a bit mean, doesn't it?"

"Nah, Sirius won't take it seriously." (a/n: Hehe…sorry.)

"All right," Lily said. Then she fold up the parchment, put it in an envelope, and gave it to her owl. "Take it to James, okay, Cherry?" Cherry nipped her finger and flew off.

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A/N: Sorry so short, but I have homework to do, so this is all I can come up with right now. In the next chapter, we will here from James' and Sirius' points of view, reacting to the reply. Please review. 


	3. Reactions

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I love you guys so much! I had a really bad day at school today, but after seeing all your wonderful reviews, I felt much, much better. Thank you!!

Chapter 3

James stayed up all night after sending that letter to Lily. *I hope she get it soon* he thought. James really, really missed Lily, and he meant everything he said in the letter. He can't help but think about her all the time, day and night. James missed everything about Lily. Her beautiful smile…her enchanting green eyes…her long, silky red hair…. He missed her so much that he forgot to play any pranks and had made Sirius incredibly annoyed. Anyway, he went through that night with very little sleep and just finished dreaming about him walking in a park, holding hands, when woke he up to a loud noise under his bed. He looked down and saw Sirius. Sirius was staying at his house for the summer. At the last minute, Sirius' parents had decided to go on a vacation. It was as though they don't want to be around Sirius or something.

"Sirius?! What the hell are you doing??" he exclaimed.

Sirius pulled on a very innocent face. "Nothing," he said angelically, climbing out from under the bed.

"You didn't do anything to my bed, did you?"

"Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Well, knowing you, why wouldn't I think that?" James said, jumping off his bed and onto the floor. "OW!!" He stepped on a mousetrap. "SIRIUS!!!"

Sirius was rolling on the floor laughing. "I knew you wouldn't trust me! That's why I set mouse traps on the other side of your bed!!" 

"Who would trust you?" James muttered, setting his foot free from the trap. Then he and Sirius went downstairs.

James and Sirius scarf down the breakfast that James' mum set on the table. His father was drinking coffee (a/n: do they have those?). 

"What are you boys planning to do today?" he asked.

"Well, I'm waiting for my reply."

"What reply?" his dad asked.

"You know…I sent a letter to Lily and her friend, inviting them to visit."

"Oops…" Mrs. Potter said guiltily. She turned to Mr. Potter. "I forgot to tell you that I gave James permission to have friends over. Lily, Bella, Remus, and Peter."

"Oh, well that's fine, I guess," he said. "Who's Lily? And who's this friend of hers?"

"Oops…" Mrs. Potter said again. "I forgot to tell you about that too. Lily's James girlfriend and her friend, Bella, is Sirius'."

"Oh…. Well when are they coming?" he asked James.

"I don't know." Just then, Cherry flew in and dropped the letter in front of James. "Here it is!" James cried excitedly. He opened it and read it aloud.

"'Dear James…Oh, I've missed you so much!'"

"Wow…"James' dad said. "She must really like you."

"Who wouldn't?" James said. "'How are you? How's your summer? I've been waiting so long for your invitation…Anyway, I'm so glad that you've been thinking of me, because I've been thinking of you a lot too…I love you so much, James!'"

"Oh…I'm getting sick from all this mushy gushy stuff!" Sirius cried. 

"Shut up. 'I can't wait for the visit to your home…Speaking at that, Bella's mum gave us permission to come already…We can stay there for a month…' A MONTH??? That's way to short!!"

"James, calm down," his mother said. "A month is good. It's not like you won't see each other after that anyway."

"You're right…'It's great of her, really, I just wished that I could spend more time with you…Oh, James…It's so lonely without you! Write back soon…much love…Lily…'" 

Sirius pretended to throw up. 

"'P.S. Sirius, I hate you. You shouldn't have joked like that last time. I was really scared, reading that.' Man! You freaked her out!"

Sirius laughed. "I said I was only joking!"

"Whatever…anyway, there's more…'P.P.S. By the way, Sirius, Bella found a new guy.'" James laughed.

"Yeah, right," Sirius said sarcastically. Then he soften up and said, "Lily was just joking…is she?" 

"Maybe…I mean, after what you did to her, I wouldn't be surprised…. But then again, it _is_ Lily and she wouldn't do something like that…"

"I know…" Sirius said worriedly. "Damn…I sure hope not…"

"Where're the girls going to sleep?" James' dad asked suddenly.

"I wouldn't mind my room…" James said quietly to Sirius. Unfortunately, his mum heard him.

"James!" she said.

"Sorry!" James said, while Sirius burst out laughing, though stopped when he remembered Bella. "I was only joking."

"That's not a thing you should joke about…. I guess they could sleep in the guest bedroom. They can share it."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Days went by slowly. Both James and Lily are longing for the day of Lily and Bella's arrival. However, it came anyway.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, who came yesterday, were sitting in his living room, waiting for them to come through the fireplace. Bella came out first. 

"Bella!" Sirius cried, holding out his arms.

"Sirius!" Bella yelled, running towards him. 

James smiled as they embraced. *Where's Lily?? * James thought impatiently. Then he heard a ratter by the fireplace and Lily fell out.

"Hey, Lily," he said nonchalantly.

"James!" Lily ran to him and hugged him tightly. "Oh James! I missed you so much!"

"Me too, Lily," he said. Then, James pulled Lily into a deep, long kiss, passionate and sweet.

"Welcome girls," came a voice. It was Mrs. Potter's. "Welcome."

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A/N: Sorry this chapter's so short. I saw the new Jim Carrey movie today(Bruce Almighty) and don't have time to write more. Please review.


	4. Sirius's Idea of Payback

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you all my reviewers. You guys are wonderful.

Okay, I'm feeling pretty down today. I never said that I except flames, but I never said that I don't either. You guys have been so terrific though, that I haven't seen a single flame, both I Knew I Loved You and this one. But today, I found out that I have one flame, and it made me feel very sad. You guys can see it if you click the little review button up there. However, I accept everybody's thoughts and opinions. I just hope that I can improve.

To Alexandra Black: Since you flamed, I don't think that you will be back to read more. I just want to put a little note here incase you do. I'm sorry that my story isn't one of those where the Marauders are players. Everybody have their own view of things, and this is how I see the Marauders. I've also read some stories, in which the Marauders _are _players, and I must agree that some of them are the best. That, however, doesn't mean that the ones without them being players aren't good. I've read some incredibly fabulous stories where the Marauders are very sweet, and unfortunately for you, this is one of them. I am very proud of my stories, and very sorry that it does not meet your demands. I sincerely wish you good luck on finding stories according to your likings.

Okay…now that I've got that out of my system, I would like to add that I've posted up chapter one of my new story. It's nothing much, just a prologue. The plot of the story is very unoriginal, but I think that I made it a bit different from the others. So just, please, give it a glance for me, okay?

Chapter 4

After the girls had put their stuff away, everybody settled in the kitchen for a lunchtime snack that Mrs. Potter had prepared. 

"So, girls," Mrs. Potter said warmly, "how's your summer going?"

"Erm…fine…" Lily and Bella said shyly.

"C'mon, Lily," James said. "It's just my mum. You don't have to be shy."

"Yeah, Bella," Sirius added. "James' mum loves having us over. Don't 'cha, Mrs. P.?

Mrs. Potter laughed. "Yes, they're right. There's no need to be uncomfortable."

"Erm…okay," Lily said.

"Well," Bella began brightly. "I certainly trust my Sirius!"

Everybody laughed.

"Oh yeah…" Sirius remembered. "Lily, in your letter, you said that Bella found a new man…"

James burst out laughing, while Lily and Bella shook silently with laughter, trying to control themselves. Remus and Peter just sat there confused.

"Were you serious?" he continued.

"Yes," Bella said. "I met the most incredible guy. Tall, dark, and handsome, he is."

"You best be talking about me," Sirius said angrily.

"What if I'm not?" Bella said, smiling.

"Come." And Sirius dragged Bella out the backyard. Inside, James, Lily, and even Remus and Peter, can't take it anymore. They were all rolling on the floor laughing.

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"Bella, who is this guy?" Sirius asked.

"What guy?" Bella said.

"This--this new guy you met!"

"I met?"

"Yes, you!"

"You?"

"Yes--no, you!! The new guy you met! Who is he?"

"Who is who?"

"The new guy!"

"What new guy?"

"The new guy you met!"

"Met what?"

"The new guy!!"

"What guy?"

"BELLA!!"

(a/n: hehe…I do this to my friends all the time…they get hecka pissed…)

Bella laughed. "Oh, Sirius! There's no new guy. I just added that little P.P.S for fun. You know I love you."

"You were joking?! You made me go through all that, and you were only joking??"

Bella nodded, still smiling.

"Oh, you are so going to pay for that!" And then he chased Bella around the backyard. When he finally caught her, Sirius tackled her onto the grass and tickled her madly.

"Hehehe…Siri…heheh…Sirius! Hehehe..s-stop…hehe…"

"On one condition," he replied, still tickling her.

"Hehehe…wha…what is…hehe…it?"

"This." Sirius stopped tickling her and bend down to give her a long, deep kiss. After a _long _time, he finally pulled away.

"That was payback," he said, "for making me go crazy."

"Well, I like your idea of revenge," Bella said. "I'll just have to hope that no other girls get on your nerves."

"You better."

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A/N: Sorry so short. I have major plans for the next few chapters and I need to stop here for this one. Please review. I promise I'll post a new chapter tomorrow, and I think that it's pretty good.


	5. A Trip To Petunia's

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews!

To Brittny: 1. I've been updating as much as possible. 2. I know…that's why I made this chapter extra long. 3. Fine, fine, fine. I'll pay my debt. If you must know, my name's Vivian, okay?? But I don't like it! I'd rather be call "Dances With Wolves" or "Swimming With Dolphins" or something. 

To DracoNGin527: Like I said, I'm open to suggestions and I accept people's opinion. I can take flame, criticism, whatever. And I really appreciate your suggestion. Yes, I tried very hard about the tenses thingy, but I have major grammar problems. I'm so sorry for that. I promise to try my best. = ) 

Chapter 5

The week went by quickly. The Marauders, Lily, and Bella had really a lot of fun. The goofed on James' neighbors, playing Quidditch, and basically having the time of their lives. Well, almost all of them. Lily really loves being with James. But…she realizes that she hasn't written to Petunia all week. She knows that Petunia won't reply…it just makes her feel a bit guilty not doing it. So that Saturday…

"James?" Lily knocked on his door.

"Come in!" he called.

Lily pushed open the door and saw James, lying in bed reading a Quidditch magazine. 

"What's up?" he said. "Where're the others?"

"They're outside playing Quidditch. Can I borrow some parchments?"

"Sure; they're in the third drawer, right there," he said, pointing to a certain spot at his desk. "What for?"

"Well…I want to write to Petunia…I mean, she doesn't reply…and I'm pretty sure she hates me…but she's still my sister…"

James looked at his sad girlfriend and his heart melted. He hate seeing her so miserable. "She doesn't reply?"

"No…"

"Do you want to visit her? I can take you if you want to."

"Really?" Lily's face lighted up.

"Really."

"Okay, let's go."

They got permission from James' mum and apparated in front of Lily's house. But all they saw there were ruins, bits and scraps of the house. 

"Oh my…" Lily said. James gave her shoulders a squeeze. Then they went over to Lily's next-door neighbor and knocked.

"Lily!" old Mrs. Henderson cried. "I haven't seen you for so long! Your parents said that you went to boarding school, so I knew you weren't in the accident that…that…"

"That killed my parents," Lily finished for her quietly.

"Y-yes. What are you doing here? Do you want to come inside for a cup of tea?"

"No, thanks, Mrs. Henderson. I just want to know where my sister is."

"Petunia? Oh, you don't know? She got married already and moved in with her husband. Mister…Mister Vernon Dursley, I believe it is. Yes…I was at their wedding."

"She got married?" Lily repeated, very surprised.

"Yes…you don't know? Weren't you at her wedding? As…as the bridesmaid? No…no wait. I'm sorry, my memory is slipping. It was Miss…Miss Marjorie Dursley."

"Y-yes…I was at school and couldn't make it…" Lily lied. Heck--she didn't even have an invitation!

"Oh, well that's too bad…"

"Erm…Mrs. Henderson…do you happen to know Vernon's address?"

"Why yes…yes, in fact I do. I've got it around the house somewhere…hold on." She walked away.

James looked at Lily worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine…I just can't believe that I missed my sister wedding…"

"Here it is!" Mrs. Henderson had returned. She handed Lily a small sheet of paper.

Vernon and Petunia Dursley-- #4, Privet Drive

"Thank you, Mrs. Henderson," Lily said.

"No problem," she said. "See you around."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

James and Lily apparated in front of number four, Privet Drive.

"James…I'm nervous," Lily said.

"Don't worry, Lily," James said soothingly. "I'm here."

"Right." Lily took a deep breath and knocked.

Petunia answered the door. She saw Lily, gasped, and was about to slam the door in her face, when James' reached out a blocked it.

"Come on! She's your sister! Just let her talk to you!" he said.

Petunia opened the door hesitantly. "Come in."

"Thanks," Lily said timidly. She and James entered and found a very neat house, full of pictures of Petunia and a very large man.

"This is Vernon, I assume?" Lily said, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Yes," Petunia said stiffly. She led them into the living room. 

Lily and James were about to sit down on a couch, when Petunia cried, "Wait! Don't sit there!"

James and Lily stood up quickly and watched as Petunia placed some towels on the couch. "There," she said rudely. "You can sit now."

James was about to speak up, but Lily interrupted him. "So…Petunia…I heard you're married…"

Her sister just nodded coldly. If it weren't for James, she wouldn't have Lily in her freak-free house.

"Erm…so why haven't you been answering my letters?"

"I don't want to have anything to do with a freak like you."

James was really about to blow up, but Lily put a hand on his arm. "Don't," she whispered. Then she turned to Petunia.

"But Petunia, surely mum and dad won't--"

"How dare you mention mum and dad?!" Petunia cried. "If it weren't for you, they wouldn't have died."

"Your parents' deaths have nothing to do with Lily!" James said.

"Whatever…" Petunia said. "Hold on." She went to a cabinet and pulled out a letter. "Here," she handed it to Lily. "Mum left this for you before she died. Take it and leave."

"You know--" James started.

"James!" Lily said. "Let's just go. Bye, Petunia…"

Petunia just holds the door open for them.

"I believe your sister just said bye to you," James said through gritted teeth.

"Bye," Petunia said icily.

"Bye…" Lily said sadly.

Then she and James just walked down the street, hand in hand.

"It's still early," James said. "Do you want to go anywhere? We can go to…"

But Lily wasn't listening. She was looking at the letter in her hand. She opened it and read:

Dear Lily,

I'm sorry that I didn't pick you up at King's Cross, honey. When you are reading this, I am no longer home. I'm sorry, honey, but I just can't take it anymore. I'm leaving your father. I can stand him no longer. I guess it's just been boiling in my blood for a while now. Please don't hate me, Lily. I just did what I had to do. Also, please don't try to find me. You'll just be wasting your time. Remember this always, though: I still love you.

Always yours,

Mum

Lily suddenly stops walking. James stopped talking and turned to her worriedly.

"Lily?" he asked concern. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," she managed. "Erm, James…I don't want to go anywhere anymore. Can we just go home?"

"Erm, sure. Lily, are you sure you're okay?"

"Y-yes, James. Let's go."

And they apparated back to James' house. They saw the rest of the Marauders and Bella coming down from the sky.

"Hey, guys," Remus said.

"Where've you been all day?" asked Sirius.

"We just visited Petunia," James said.

"Lily, are you okay?" Bella asked, eyeing her friend. "You look really pale."

"I-I'm fine. I'm going to go lay down," Lily said, letter behind her back. "See you guys later." And she disappeared inside.

"What's wrong with her, James?" Bella asked.

"I don't know…she's been acting weird since Petunia gave her some letter from her mum…"

"Letter?" Remus asked. "What letter?"

"I don't know," James said. "She didn't show it to me."

"Hmm…" Bella said. "I wonder what it says."

"Should I go talk to her?" James asked.

"No," Bella replied at once. "Leave her alone for awhile. She'll tell you what's wrong when she's ready."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Pretty long chapter…find out what's bugging Lily in the next chapter…it's something besides the fact that her parents have marriage problems…please review! 


	6. Lily's Tough Decision

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

To Charisma: What is Beta really?

To Brittny: I don't know what my name means, and would really appreciate it if you tell me…but please, I hate Vivian and it _is_ common. Call me Zahpwarzt.

To DracoNGin527: I think you misunderstood the letter, so I'm going to explain it incase there's someone else who didn't understand. (By the way, I'm just wondering, but did you read "I Knew I Loved You"? I mean, this is the sequel to it.)

Okay, I made the letter a bit confusing, I admit, so let me clarify it. Lily's mum was about to leave her husband. She wrote this to Lily _before_ she died, assuming that she will not pick Lily up at King's Cross because she would've already leave. But on the day that she decides to leave, Voldemort came and killed her and her husband. The ministry doesn't know about this letter that Lily's mum had left with Petunia. Is this clear enough? If it still doesn't make sense, just review or email me to tell me so, and I will try my best to explain it.

Okay this chapter, and the next one, is inspired and based on one of the episode in the old T.V. hit series "Boy Meets World." That's my one of my favorite T.V. series. Anyway, the episode is called "Angela's Men," and if you've watched it, you'd know what I'm talking about. If not, then just read on and find out.

Anyway, on with the chapter! 

Chapter 6

Lily laid in bed thinking all night. In the bed next to hers, Bella was sleeping peacefully, mumbling something about Sirius every once in a while. Lily smiled, happy at the thought of her best friend being happy. Then she remembered her mum's letter. _I'm leaving your father. I can stand him no longer. I guess it's just been boiling in my blood for a while now. *Boiling in my blood…boiling in my blood…*_ Lily can't get over that part. She and her mum were very alike. Both with bright red hair and green eyes. Some of Lily's older relatives even said that Lily was just like her mumwhen she was young. *Does this mean that I will one day leave James too?* Lily thought. No, she will not. She loves him…but how does she know that she will love him forever? Lily's mum used to always say that she loves her husband…and then she left him…*I don't want to hurt James…* Lily thought. Lily lingered on these thoughts for a while longer. At long last, Lily finally made up her mind. *I know what I must do* she thought. And then, Lily drifted off towards an unpleasant night.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*

The next day at breakfast, James noticed that Lily was behaving very strangely.

"Lily, are you okay?" he asked.

"Erm, I'm fine, James…" she said.

"Are you sure? Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"No…actually, yes. I need to talk to you, James."

"Okay, let's go outside."

So James finished up his breakfast and went out to his backyard with Lily. They sat down on a bench.

"So what's on your mind?" James asked.

"James…I…I…" Lily doesn't know how to begin.

"You…?"

"I…I think it will be best for the both of us if we…we…"

"No…no, Lily. Stop. I don't want to here this." James knew where this was going. He got up from the bench and start walking around the yard,

"James! Just listen, okay?" Lily ran up to him and put both of her hands on his arms, not letting him move. "I think it'll be best if…if we stop seeing each other."

"Why?" James asked, angry and confused. "Why, Lily? What's wrong? Whatever it is, I'm sure we can work through it together!"

"No, James…no…" Lily turned around, trying not to let James see her tears.

James spun her around forcefully and hugged her tight. "What's wrong, Lily? Why won't you tell me what's wrong??"

"Nothing's wrong, James!" Lily said, pushing herself out of his grip. 

"Can you at least tell me why you're breaking up with me?!" James was practically yelling now.

"Because, James…because I don't love you anymore…" Lily hated saying this. But it's for James' own good, she reminded herself.

"Yes, you do, Lily! I know you do! Tell me the real reason!"

"That is the real reason, James…I don't love you anymore, James…I don't…but we can remain friends. I'm going to stay here for the rest of the months to keep Bella company, but please, James, please don't make it hard on me." Then, Lily ran tearfully inside the house, ignoring the questions from Bella and the rest of the Marauders, and up her room, hugging her pillow and crying hard into it.

Back outside, James couldn't believe what he just heard. Lily doesn't love him anymore? After all they've been through? *No…she still loves me…* he thought. *She knows she does…and I do too…I am not going to give up on her…* Then he went back inside.

"James? Is everything all right between you and Lily?" Remus asked. "I just saw her running upstairs crying."

"And she won't tell us what's wrong," Sirius added.

"She broke up with me," James answered bitterly.

"She WHAT??" cried everybody in the room.

"She broke up with me," James replied.

"Why?" Bella asked.

"I don't know. She said she doesn't love me anymore."

"I'm going to talk to her," Bella said, disappeared upstairs.

"Are you okay?" Remus asked James.

"Perfectly fine," he said sarcastically.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Lily?" Bella knocked on the door.

"Come in," Lily said, wiping away her tears.

"Lily, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine," Lily said.

"Then why are you crying?" Bella asked, noticing her friend's red eyes.

"I-I wasn't crying…I had something in my eye…"

"Right…" Bella said, totally unconvinced. "Why did you break up with James?"

"Because…because I don't love him anymore."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"I know you, Lily. You're my best friend. I can tell when you're lying. You're no good at it."

"Whatever."

"So why did you _really_ break up with James?"

"I told you, I don't love him anymore."

"Lily, come on! I'm your best friend! You can tell me."

"I'm telling the truth."

"Okay, Lily. If you don't want to tell me what's bugging you, then that's fine with me. See you later."

Lily hated lying to Bella. But she knew Bella wouldn't understand. She'll just have to go through this alone.

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A/N: Is this long enough? Please review.


	7. The Letter and the Picture

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews. I love you all!

To Yukura: Yes, I did indeed post up my new story already. I've got three chapters up. The title is "A James and Lily Story: Cinderella Style."

Chapter 7

Days went by. James was very miserable. He kept trying to talk to Lily, but did her best to avoid him. She still hung around; she just changes the subject every time James mentions their relationship. So James just moped around. Lily hated seeing James so sad. *But it's for his own good* she kept thinking. So on the outside, Lily acted cool, as though nothing's wrong. But on the inside, her heart was broken up, going through much more pain than James. She missed James so much. Lily missed the way he holds her, they way he kisses her, they way he loves her…most of all, Lily missed being with James. Even though she sees him everyday, Lily felt really distant.

One afternoon that week, Lily was lying in bed hold two things: her mum's letter and a picture of her and James together. She looked at the letter first. Her mum and dad used to love each other so much…how can it be that her mum got tired of her dad? Lily then looked over at the picture. She placed a finger on James' image and traced his moving figure.

"Oh, James," Lily whispered, tears dripping from her eyes. "You can't possibly imagine how much I love you…"

Just then, Bella knocked on the door and called, "Lily?"

Lily quickly hid the letter and picture behind her pillow, wiped her face dry, and said, "Come in."

"Hey Lily," Bella said, sitting down on her bed. "Mrs. Potter wants to know if you would like to go muggle grocery-shopping with her. She wants to try cooking without magic."

"Oh, I'd love to," Lily said, standing up. "Are you coming?"

"Nah."

"Okay, see you later."

Bella watched as Lily left. Then she gazed out of the window, thinking. Bella wished that everything would be all right between Lily and James. She knew that they were meant to be together. She wishes that they could be as happy as she and Sirius are. Bella then shifted her gaze from the window and looked around the room. Her eyes fell on something behind Lily's pillow. Lily had been in such a hurry that she didn't put it away properly and so it was sticking out. Bella curiously took it out and looked at the picture.

"I knew it!" she said to herself. "Lily still has feelings for James!" Then she read the letter. "Oh my…" she said. "Her mum was about to leave her father…. Is this what's effecting her relationship with James?" Bella, very confused, went downstairs to show Sirius and Remus the stuff she found.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey, Bella," Sirius said.

"Hey…where's James?" asked Bella, letter and picture clutched in her hands.

"He's upstairs, moping in his room," Peter answered, munching on an apple.

"Oh, good."

"What?" they all asked shocked.

"How is James moping around good?" asked Sirius.

"Well, no it's not. But I found something in Lily's room that I want to show you guys." She handed the letter to Remus and the picture to Sirius.

"If Lily doesn't like James anymore, why would she keep his picture?" Sirius asked.

"Exactly my thoughts," Bella said. "Remus, read the letter aloud."

"'Dear Lily…I'm sorry that I didn't pick you up at King's Cross, honey…When you are reading this, I am no longer home…. I'm sorry, honey, but I just can't take it anymore…I'm leaving your father….'" 

"What!?" cried Sirius and Peter.

"Hush…" Bella said. "Remus, continue."

"'I can stand him no longer…I guess it's just been boiling in my blood for a while now. Please don't hate me, Lily…I just did what I had to do. Also, please don't try to find me. You'll just be wasting your time…Remember this always, though: I still love you…Always yours…Mum…'"

"So…Lily's mum was about to leave her father?" Peter asked.

"Yes," answered Bella.

"But before she could, Voldemort came…" continued Sirius.

"Right," Bella said. "But what I want to know is, is this letter effecting Lily's and James relationship? And if it is, how so?"

"I think I know what's going on," said Remus wisely. "Lily got this letter from her mum and was shocked at the fact that her mother was going to leave her father. She's probably worried that something similar will happen between her and James…or something along that line…"

"But that's crazy!" Bella cried. "She and her mum are two totally different people."

"I know…but she's not realizing that," Remus said. "Now that we know--or we think we know-what's going on, how do we get them back together?"

"I've got it!" Sirius cried suddenly.

"What??" Bella asked.

"Well…do you guys remember how we got James and Lily to go to the Halloween Ball together?"

"The closet trick?" Remus asked.

"Exactly. I think it's time to pull it again."

"All right," the others agreed.

"Okay. Right now, Remus and I will go lock James in the bathroom--"

"Bathroom?" Peter asked. "I thought you were talking about some closet trick."

"Yes, but James' closet isn't big enough. So we'll just have to use the bathroom. Anyway, Remus and I will get James into the bathroom and lock it. When Lily return with Mrs. P, which should be within the next ten minutes or so, Bella, you will tell her James is in trouble and lock her in the bathroom too."

"All right," Bella and Remus said.

"Hey wait!" Peter said. "What do I get to do?"

"You, my friend, get to do the most important job: you get to make sure Mrs. P don't have a clue what's going on."

"Oh, okay."

"All right, people," Sirius said. "Let's move it. We have a couple to get back together."

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A/N: Please review.


	8. Locked in the Bathroom

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews! You guys rock!!

Chapter 8

Sirius and Remus ran into James room without knocking. They found him sitting at his desk, looking at a picture of him and Lily.

"James! James!" they called.

"Yeah?" he asked carelessly.

"Lily's hurt!" Remus lied.

James stood up, knocking over his chair. "Where is she?"

"Here," Sirius said, leading him out of the room. Remus notice that James was so worried, that he forgot to take his wand with him. He snuck it into his robes' pocket. Then he followed Sirius and James.

"Where is she??" James asked.

"Here!" Sirius pushed James into the bathroom and locked the door magically.

"Sirius? What the hell is going on? Where's Lily?" 

"James, all your questions will be answered later. Just wait. You'll thank us later," Remus said.

"I'll thank you if you let me out and explain to me what's going on!"

Meanwhile, Lily and Mrs. Potter just came home. Peter went up to Mrs. Potter and asked her to teach him how to cook, just to distract her. Bella waited until Mrs. Potter was gone, turned to Lily and said, "Lily, you've got to come! James' in trouble!"

"Where?" Lily asked alarmed.

"Come!" And Bella dragged Lily to the bathroom.

"In here?" Lily asked.

"Yes, there." Bella quickly opened the door and shoved Lily inside. Lily fell on top of James, who was sitting on the floor. She got up right away, and said, "James! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, are you?"

"Yeah…oh my gosh…." Lily just realized what was going on.

"What?"

"We've fallen for their old trick again!" Then she went to the door. "BELLA!! LET ME OUT OF HERE!!"

"NO!" Bella yelled back. "NOT UNTIL YOU AND JAMES HAVE SORT OUT YOUR PROBLEMS!!"

"Bella!" Lily kept on banging on the door, until James came and pulled her back.

"It's no use," he said.

"You're right." And they just sat down on the floor in silence.

"Lily," James said. "Why did you break up with me?"

Lily looked up at him in surprise. She stood up and said, "I told you why."

"You told me everything but the truth," James said, standing up too. "What's wrong, Lily?"

"Nothing's wrong, James. What I said was the truth, believe it or not. I don't love you anymore. I don't have anymore feelings for you except friendship."

James placed his hands on her arms and pulled her closer. He kissed her passionately. Lily was enjoying this. This…this was the kiss that she longed for. But she remembered why she broke up with him and pulled away.

"Don't…James…don't do that," she said.

"Lily, did that mean nothing to you?" he asked.

Lily turned the other way. "Yes. That meant nothing."

James spun her around and held onto her arm fiercely. "Lily, look at me straight in the eye and tell me that you don't love me anymore."

She couldn't. "Please don't make me, James. Please." Tears start to spill from Lily's eyes.

"You can't. So you still love me."

"I don't love you!"

"Yes, you do, Lily! I know you do. I love you too."

"I don't love you, James! I hate you!"

James stood there shocked. Did Lily just said what he thought she said? "Why do you hate me, Lily?" he asked quietly.

"Because, James…because…"

"Because you can't deal with the fact that you love me?"

"No…I don't love you, James…I _can't _love you…" Then Lily realized what she just said and start pounding on the door again. James went over and pulled her away from the door.

"You _can't_?"

"I-I…I can't…I can't love you, James."

"Why not!?"

"Because…because I'll hurt you…"

"How can you hurt me??"

Lily took a deep breath. "Do you remember that letter Petunia gave me? Well, that was a letter from my mum…she was going to leave my father…she stopped loving him…"

"I'm sorry, Lily, but I don't see how this effects us…"

"James, do you know how alike my mum and I are? I'm afraid that one day, I'll stop loving you, leave you, and hurt you!"

"Lily that's crazy! You and your mum are two totally different people! Besides, can't you see that you're hurting me now?"

"Better now than later."

"No. I love you, Lily, and you love me. You will never stop loving me, because I'll die before I let that happen."

"James, I--"

But she never got to finished. Because James kissed her, sweetly and meaningfully.

"Does that mean anything?" he asked, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Yes. It meant a lot!" And she jumped into James arms, hugging him tightly. "Oh, James…" she said. "You haven't a clue how much I missed you these pass few days."

"I do," James said. "Because I missed you too."

Outside, Bella, Remus, and Sirius were leaning against the door listening. "Yes!" they all said, slapping each other high-fives for a job well done. Remus unlocked the door, and Lily and James emerged, hand-in-hand.

"Now, James…" Sirius began pompously. "We just got you your girlfriend back. Don't you want to say something?"

"Yes, I do," James said, letting go of Lily's hand. "You never learned, do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, do you remember what happened last time when you did the same thing to us?"

"Erm…uh oh…" and he began to run, James on his tail.

"Is everything okay between you and James?" Bella asked.

"Yes, everything's fine. Thank you, Bella. And thank you, Remus," Lily said gratefully.

"No problem, Lily," Remus said. "Just glad that you and James are back together."

"Yeah," Bella agreed. "Oh, but Lily…"

"Yes?"

"Promise me you and James won't break up again. I can't go through this anymore."

Lily laughed. "Don't worry."

Just then, Sirius and James came back. Sirius had floppy rabbit ears, a fluffy pink tail, a penguin body, and an extra head.

At this site, everybody burst out laughing.

"Oh yeah," Sirius said sarcastically. "Laugh all you want. Ha-ha."

"Oh, Sirius," Bella said, trying to contain her laughter. "Don't worry. I still think you're cute."

"Thank you. I know my baby still loves me."

"Yeah…I think you're cute…in a penguin-ish way!" And everybody laughed again.

"Hey!" Sirius cried, as he tried to chase Bella, in his penguin body. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Please review.


	9. Moving Out?

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you everybody who reviewed! 

I'm so sorry that I haven't update sooner. Remember that major project I was talking about earlier? Well, it's almost due and I'm a bit behind. I've been staying after school to work on it and hadn't much time to write. If I don't complete this project, my teacher will give me an F, which is why I've been so busy working on it. I hope you guys understand.

To RetroHotty44765: I'm glad that you like this story. I'm sorry that I haven't gotten to the point of this fic. This is the sequel so the plot is really in the other fic. I mean, when I started writing, I didn't even plan to do a sequel. My readers just talked me into it. So, yeah, the other fic holds the plot really (how James and Lily came to be). This one, as it said in the summary, is just how they handle adulthood. I'm just writing as I go along. In this chapter, they are going to be thinking abut jobs and stuff, which is where I'm aiming for this story to head towards. I'm not going to tell you anymore, for I don't want to really spoil the story. But this fic, at this point, doesn't have a steady plot. If you have any suggestions, though, I will be glad to take it.

To DracoNGin527: I have some stuff in my mind already that would spice up this fic. This chapter is pretty much an introduction to it. As I said above to RetroHotty44765, more stuff is going to come in later. 

Chapter 9

Now that James and Lily were back together, everything was fine again. Everybody's happy and nothing's going wrong. The Marauders, Lily, and Bella continued to goof on neighbors and play Quidditch. Three weeks had gone by. It was only a matter of days before Bella and Lily have to leave. One day, Peter brought up the subject that had lain forgotten since the train ride from Hogsmeade Station to King's Cross. 

They were all just sitting in the living room doing absolutely nothing. Well, not really. James was laying on the couch with one of his arm over it. Lily was leaning on is shoulder while he stroke her hair. Sirius was sitting on the other couch with Bella in his laps. Remus was sitting in an armchair, reading a book, and Peter was sitting on the floor, eating a banana. 

He took a big bite, finishing off the banana, swallowed, and said, "You know what?"

"What?" Sirius asked lazily, tightening his arms a bit around Bella's waist.

"D'you 'member the train ride home? I asked what are jobs are we planning to get? Well, you guys said we'll talk about it later, and, well, this is mid-summer already, and we still haven't got any plans yet."

"Oh, I can't believe we've forgotten something so important!" Lily said, jumping out of James' arms and sat up straight. 

"Thanks a lot, Wormtail," James muttered and sat up straight too.

"What?" Peter asked.

"Nothing," James said. "Nothing."

"Whatever. So…what are you planning to do with your lives? What jobs do you want to get?"

"Aurors," James and Sirius said immediately.

"Aurors…" Remus considered it thoughtfully. "I don't know…that wouldn't be too bad, I guess. We'll have to go to training school though."

"What about you girls?" Peter asked.

"I think I want to go into journalism," Lily said.

"Oh, that's so cool!" Bella exclaimed. "I want to do that too! We can get jobs together, Lily!"

"That'll be nice," Lily said.

Then there was silence.

"Ooh!" Bella cried suddenly. "You know what, Lily? I think we should move out on our own. We're adults now. I don't want to continue to live with my parents."

"That's not a bad idea…" Lily said. "We can rent our own apartments…"

"Yeah! We can find one somewhere near the Daily Prophet Headquarters, which is in Diagon Alley, right? We can live in Muggle London on the other side. I haven't been to the muggle world a lot. It would be interesting to live there." (a/n: I don't really know if the Daily Prophet Headquarters is in Diagon Alley; it never mentions it in the books. But if you'd seen the first Harry Potter movies, you can see a sign hanging over a white-ish building that says "The Daily Prophet." I'm not sure, because the movies are a bit different from the book, but oh well.)

"Oh, that's cool! I still have quite a lot of money in Gringotts, so we can chip in and rent the apartment together."

"All right," Bella agreed. "I'll talk it over with mum and dad when we get home."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The rest of the week went by fast. Soon it was time for the girls to go back home. James and Sirius were really reluctant to see their girlfriends leave. As were the girls, of course. They were saying good-bye in front of the fireplace.

"Bye, Bella," Sirius whispered in Bella's ear, hugging her tightly.

"Bye-bye," Bella replied. "I'm going to miss you, baby." Then she left.

"Bye, James," Lily said tearfully.

"Lily," James hesitated to say bye. "Don't go. My mum surely won't mind if you stay here a bit longer. Don't go."

"James…I'm sure your mum won't mind…but Mrs. Figg will. We promised her we'd be back in a month and Bella's already gone. I can't not go. But I promise you that I will owl you to tell you about the moving out thing. If the Figgs' let us, than you can visit us any time."

"All right," James said reluctantly. "Bye. I'll owl you everyday."

"Okay. Bye, James." Lily tiptoed a bit to lean in and gave James a kiss. "Bye." And she, too, was gone.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Lily!" Mrs. Figg cried, holding out her arms.

"Hi, Mrs. Figg," Lily said, hugging her.

"What took you so long?" Bella asked.

"Never mind. Let's go put away our stuff."

"Good idea."

At dinner that night, Bella brought up the subject of moving out to her parents. She took a sip of her pumpkin juice and said, "Erm…mum? Dad?"

"Yes, sweetie?" Her mum asked.

"Well, over the weeks at James' house, we were talking about jobs. I mean, we are adults now."

"Oh…I almost forgot that you girls are all grown up now!" Mrs. Figg cried. "You girls are right; there are four adults at this table."

"Right," her dad said. "Jobs…. So what do you guys have in mind?"

"Well," Lily began. "We both have an interest in journalism--"

"Journalism?" Mr. Figg asked. "Not bad…"

"Yes," Bella said. "Anyway, we were thinking of getting jobs at the Daily Prophet and erm…getting our own apartments near it…"

"Your own apartments?" her mum questioned. "You girls want to move out?"

"Well, yes," Bella said. "I mean, it'll be closer to our jobs…and you did agree that we're adults now. We should be able to make our own decision."

Mrs. Figg looked taken-aback. "Yes, but--"

"Now, now, honey," Mr. Figg said. "The girls are right. They should be able to do what they want. However, you guys need to get the jobs first, before you can get an apartment. So how about this: if you guys can get jobs at the Daily Prophet, then we would let you move out. Sounds fair?"

"Very!" cried Lily and Bella. "Thanks dad," Bella added. "Thanks mum."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Yes, I know this chapter sucks, but I have no other ideas of how to make an appropriate introduction for what I have in mind. So please review and tell me what you think. 


	10. We Got The Jobs!

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you everybody who reviewed! You guys seriously rocks!

To e!i : Yes, I am planning to have some more fluff after realizing that a lot of my readers like it. I'm probably going to have some more Sirius/Bella and James/Lily stuff. But I need some opinion though. Should I give Remus some romance? I'll add a poll at the end to get everybody's opinion.

To Brittny: School doesn't end next week, unfortunately for me. My school lets out on June 12th, so I will have more time to write then. I love your idea, but no--I'm sorry but I don't plan use it. Thank you for the effort though. I have other stuff in mind, that I'm sure will make this fic a bit better.

To Brittny and Bic Papermate (and all the other readers who wants James and Lily to get marry soon): I'm sorry, but I don't plan for James and Lily to get married yet. Not until some other things happen that I am not going to spoil for you now. I want them to be able to afford a living first, meaning getting jobs…you know, being able to support themselves. So, I think I'll wait a few more chapters before I let them get married, okay? 

Chapter 10

The next day, Lily and Bella went to the Daily Prophet Headquarters to get interviewed. They both did every well and were told that they will be getting jobs there, running some small columns for it. Lily and Bella happily went home to tell the Figgs'.

"Mum! Dad!" Bella called, as they entered the house.

"Yes, honey?" Mrs. Figg called from the kitchen. Lily and Bella entered, smelling the terrific smell of dinner.

"Guess what?" Bella asked.

"What, honey?"

"We got the jobs!" Lily cried.

"That's terrific!" Mr. Figg said.

"We know!" Bella said. "Remember our deal?"

"What--oh, yeah…" her dad remembered. "All right, all right. Tomorrow, we will go find a apartment in Muggle London for you girls."

"Yay!" they cried. Then they ran upstairs to write to James and Sirius.

"Honey, do you think it's a wise choice to let the girls move out?" Mrs. Figg asked worriedly. "I mean, they are still pretty young."

"No, they are not. They are young women now and can handle this. Besides, we promised."

"You're right. I guess, I-I'm just afraid to admit that they are all grown up now. They don't need us anymore."

"They will," Mr. Figg said, grinning, "when they run out of money."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lily and Bella went to Lily's room and were about to write the letter, when James' owl flew in, dropped a letter onto Lily's bed, and flew away.

"It's from James and Sirius!" Lily exclaimed.

"Read it!"

Dear Lily and Bella,

Sirius argued over which one of you girls' names should go first-- "Aw…" Bella said._--but I told him that Lily and Bella sounds better than Bella and Lily--_ "No it doesn't!" Bella said. _--Anyways, how are you girls? How's it going with the moving out business? Did you even get jobs yet? Well, I wrote because I promised I would. And I want to tell you girls that Sirius, Remus, and I had got into Aurors' Training School already. We will be going next week. We have to be trained there for half a year before we can become full-fledged aurors. And guess what? Once we are done, our parents are letting us move out too! Too bad we have to wait for six months. Oh well, it is worth it if we can get apartments next to yours (that is, if you are moving out). Pity Peter didn't want to join us. He said he had something else in mind, but wouldn't tell us what is it. Never mind him. So anyways, write back as soon as possible. We miss you a lot._

So lonely without you,

James and Sirius

"Bella, hand me some parchments," Lily said. "I'm going to write back right away."

"Here."

Dear James and Sirius,

First of all, Lily and Bella, Bella and Lily--either way, they're our names. It doesn't matter which ones come first as long as we know you guys think of us. We're doing fine, except for the fact that we miss you guys terribly. We are so glad that you guys got jobs already and can't wait until you guys can move out, because we've gotten permission to! Bella and I have gotten jobs for the Daily Prophet. We will start out small; just junior journalists, but hey--it's a start! We will be writing a few small columns for it. We'll start next week. Anyways, we will be looking for an apartment in Muggle London tomorrow. We will write as soon as possible to let you guys know what's happening.

Love from,

Lily and Bella

P.S. Please say hi to your mum and dad for us. 

P.P.S. You boys behave now.

Lily sent it off with Cherry. Then she and Bella each separated and went their own ways to get ready for dinner.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The following day, Mr. Figg took Bella and Lily to the Muggle London side of Diagon Alley to look for an appropriate apartment. It was settled beforehand that Lily and Bella will be sharing a small apartment that is affordable with at least two rooms. And since they got jobs already, the girls will be splitting the monthly rent. Anyways, it took all day, but Mr. Figg and the girls finally settled on a small yet comfortable-looking apartment. It's quite near Diagon Alley, favorably. A cozy living room, a small kitchen, a nice bathroom, and three bedrooms, one's a bit smaller than the other two. It was affordable too. So they met up with the owner of the apartment, signed some papers, and it was all theirs. They are to move in over weekends, so they can have it ready before their jobs.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Not very much, I know, but I don't have time to write more. Sorry. Please help me with some stuff below and review.

Should I give Remus some romance?

A) Yes! He deserves it!

B) No! He doesn't need it.

C) I couldn't care less.

Please choose one of them and review to let me know! Thanks!


	11. Clothes Emergencies!

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you everybody who reviewed! You guys are so wonderful! I got a bunch of reviews yesterday! I'm so happy!

Sorry. I was about to update yesterday, but fanfiction.net was overloaded and I couldn't get in.

My project is almost done!! It's due on Thursday and I'm almost finish with it. I'll have much more time to write once it's over.

Thank you for everybody's opinion. After all the votes, I've decided to give Remus a little romance. And don't worry, this time, the girl wouldn't be like Sandra Smith. I haven't really thought about it yet, but I'm planning on making this girl become friends with them. Not as close as Lily and Bella, but enough.

To Enelya Tulcakelumee: Thank you for your opinion. I did not think that it was rude at all. I put a choice C there for a reason; I know some people don't really care. = )

Chapter 11

Over the next few days, Lily and Bella had move into their apartments (a bit earlier than they planned, actually). They each took one of the larger bedrooms and left the smaller one for storing some stuff. Then Lily and Bella went shopping to buy some new clothing and furniture to make their new home as comfortable as possible. Soon, they were very used to their cozy, little apartment…

On Monday, Lily woke up way before her alarm clock goes off--she was nervous about the jobs. She needed to talk to someone, but she knew that it was too early to wake Bella, and she can't just run to James right now. Lily lies in bed thinking for a while longer, until she decided to go get ready. She took a quick shower and came out wearing her bathrobe, unsure of what do wear for her first day of work. Should Lily wear her dress robes? No, _way_ too fancy. They'd be thinking she's trying to hard. But she really wants to make a good first impression. Or maybe she should wear her Hogwarts robes? *Argh!* Lily thought, frustrated. *Why is this so hard?!* Lily gave up. She'll ask Bella later. So Lily tightened the slash around her bathrobe and went downstairs to make some breakfast. She started to make some waffles. She loves them and she knows that Bella will too. Of course, she never had these muggle foods, but they are _delicious._

About twenty minutes later, Bella finally came downstairs, wearing her bathrobes too. She sniffed the air in the kitchen and said, "Wow, Lily. Something smells wonderful. What are you making?"

"A muggle breakfast called waffles," Lily replied.

"Waffles?"

"Yeah…my mum use to make it all the time…it was delicious…" Lily cleared her throat and shook the thought of her dead parents out of her head.

"You okay, Lily?" Bella asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine…. So anyways, I made it because I know you haven't tried it yet. It's wonderful."

Bella sat down on one of the kitchen stools and look at the plate in front of her. "How are you supposed to eat it?"

"Erm…well, you use the little fork thingy."

"No! I meant, do you just eat it plain for something?"

"Oh! Erm…well, yes, you can eat it plain. You can also add the topping or toppings of your choice. We have syrup…" Lily looked through their refrigerator (they had one because remember: they live in muggle London). "Erm…strawberries…whipped cream…"

Bella added some syrup to her waffle and took a small bite. "It's marvelous!"

Lily smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Now, when you are done, you need to help me with what to wear for our first day at work! I haven't a single clue!"

So the girls finished their breakfast and ran upstairs to choose what to wear. Lily held up a bunch of outfits, while Bella sat down on Lily's bed.

"Okay, first I thought about dress robes, but then it's way too fancy, you know? And I don't want to look too desperate or something. And then I thought of Hogwarts robes, but we're not in Hogwarts! So that won't work. And then, I can't think of anything else and…" Lily rambled on.

"Lily!" Bella called. "Lily!"

Lily stopped. "What?"

"You were babbling."

"Oh, sorry. I'm just so nervous."

"It's okay. Don't worry. I'll be there with you. Now, let's see…we live in a muggle neighborhood, so I don't reckon wearing robes will be a too good idea. We can just wear stuff we wear on weekends at Hogwarts. You know, just regular, comfortable muggle clothing."

"You are brilliant!"

"You realize that now? Anyways, here," Bella said, holding up a knee-length, beige skirt. "Wear this. It's nice; it's pretty; and it's comfortable."

"Okay, but what'll I wear it with? How about this white blouse?"

"Perfect! What about me?"

"Erm…this pair of black jeans with your pink tee?" 

"That works."

Then they split up and got ready for work. They both came out of their rooms looking very fine. Bella and Lily exited their apartment and walked a couple of blocks to the Leaky Cauldron. They said hi to Tom, and then went into Diagon Alley. Lily and Bella walked up to the front of the Daily Prophet building, but did not enter it.

"Bella," Lily said. "I'm having second thoughts about this. I'm really nervous."

"Don't worry. We'll go through this together."

Lily took a deep breath, and pushed open the door. She and Bella entered and saw an old witch sitting at a desk in a corner. They went up to her and Bella said, "Excuse me, miss?"

The old witch looked up. "Yes?"

"Hi. We're here for our first day of work. Erm, we talked to Ms. Jasmine last time? She's the one who told us to come today."

"Oh yes. Ms. Jasmine told me about you two. You will be working with Mr. Pikes. Do you know how to apparate?" They nodded. "Great. Apparate to the second story and you will find two large doors off the right bathroom a bit. Go through there and you will find Mr. Pikes' office."

"Thanks," Lily said. And _poof!,_ they're gone.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: I'm sorry. I would write more, but I have tons of homework. Please review even though I know this chapter sucks majorly.

__


	12. I Don't Trust Him!

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you everybody who reviewed! You guys are so wonderful!

To DracoNGin527: I'm sorry. I am not going to be specific about there first day. It's really brief. I don't want to waste time on it, because, if you read the little note down there, I have some plans for future chapters that I am dying to put up. So, I'm trying to make it there as soon as possible.

To Hi_There: First of all, hi and thanks for reviewing. Second, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH PENGUINS! I love them! They are so cute! That's why I made Sirius a penguin. = )

Okay, last night, before going to bed, I had a bunch of great ideas for this story. Too bad it can't happen yet. So just wait, it's worth the while, I assure you. If you want a little peek at what it is, then review or email me. I'll give you a little hint. That's all I can promise for now. I don't want to spoil anything.

Chapter 12

Lily and Bella had a great day of work. Mr. Pikes was a wizard, probably around his mid-forties. He not easy to please, for he demand the best out of all of them. Lily and Bella made a lot of friends in their department. Everybody was wonderful. Lily even overcame her shyness and nervousness. They came home from work later that day and found James and Sirius sitting in their living room pigging out and watching muggle television. They came in just in time to here Sirius say "Wow. This muggle box thingy rocks!"

"It's called a television, Sirius," Bella said. "How did you guys get in here?"

"Well," James said. "We are wizards, you know." 

"Oh yeah," Bella said, plopping down on the couch next to Sirius. She leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Tired, baby?" he asked.

"Very. Work is fun, but very tiring."

"What about you guys?" Lily asked, sitting down next to James. "Didn't you start your Aurors' Training School today?"

"Yes, we did," James said. "It was cool. A bit difficult, but nothing I can't handle. Just like Hogwarts. These things just come naturally to me."

"You know, James," Lily said, grinning up at her boyfriend. "One day, your obnoxiousness is going to come back and bite you in the butt."

"Well, until that day, why don't you give me some practice?" James said slyly. "So I can get use to it?" Then he ran as Lily whacked him with a pillow.

"Man," Lily complained. "I have one perverted boyfriend."

"I was just kidding, Lily," James said, sitting down again.

"Where are Remus and Peter?" Bella asked.

"Peter is off who-knows-where," Sirius said. "And Remus left right after school to get ready for…you know…" He pointed to the calendar. It was the week of the full moon.

"Oh."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Over the next few weeks, things were going great. That is…until one day…

Lily wrote and published a wonderful article on some new news about Voldemort that made the front page. Everybody congratulated her and Mr. Pikes personally called her to his office.

"I-I'm nervous," Lily said. "Mr. Pikes usually criticize."

"Yeah, but you did a wonderful job on that article!" Bella said encouragingly. "He probably wants to give you a promotion or something."

Lily entered Mr. Pikes' office uncertainly. "Mr. Pikes?" she asked. "You wanted to see me?"

"Oh yes," he said, getting up from his desk. "Please, sit down." He motioned toward a couch in the corner of his office. Lily sat down nervously and within moments, Mr. Pikes joined her.

"Lily, I want to congratulate you on your article. You did a marvelous job."

"Thank you," Lily said, loosening up. This wasn't as bad as she thought. She thought wrong.

Mr. Pikes scooted closer to Lily, placed his arms around her shoulder, and said, "I see great future for you, Lily."

"Thanks, Mr. Pike." Lily edged away a bit, not wanting to look rude or anything.

"I've had my eye on you. You have great talent. With a bit of a little something more, you can expect great things." He tightened his grip around her shoulders and placed a hand on her knee.

Lily stood up right away. "Excuse m-me, Mr. Pikes," she said. Lily's a bit scared. "I d-don't feel very comfortable."

"Ah, Lily. There's no reason to feel uncomfortable. Come. I see great things in you. If you follow me, then I can promote you."

"I-I…I'm going to go. Excuse me." Lily ran out of the room.

"Lily?" Bella asked. "What's wrong?"

"Let's go, Bella. I'll tell you on the way home."

"But work doesn't end for about another two hours."

"Well, let's take the rest of the day off." So they left.

"What's wrong, Lily?" Bella asked once they were walking down the street.

"My meeting with Mr. Pikes…I didn't feel very comfortable."

"Was it something he said?"

She shook her head no.

"He didn't do anything offensive…did he?"

"He…he sort of…crowded me."

"Oh my god! I can't believe it! " Bella cried, as they entered their apartment.

"'Oh my god' what?" came James' voice. Once again, he and Sirius were hanging around their apartment.

"You can't believe what?" Sirius asked.

"Mr. Pikes, our boss, was--"

"No, wait," Lily said. She didn't want James to worry.

"Your boss was what?" James asked.

"Nothing." Lily lied.

"Tell me, Lily."

"It's nothing, James. Really."

"Fine. If you won't tell me, I'll ask Bella. Bella?" James asked, turning to her.

"Er…well, he _does_ have a right to know, Lily," Bella said, ignoring Lily, who was mouthing 'no.' "Mr. Pikes was hitting on Lily."

"HE WAS WHAT??" James exploded.

"Oh, no…" Lily muttered. "James, I pulled away before he did anything, all right? No big deal."

"Yes, big deal! Some guy is hitting on my girlfriend; yes, I think it's a big deal, Lily. You have to quit."

"Quit? But I love my job! Besides, don't you trust me?"

"I do trust you, Lily. It's Pikes I don't trust. Please, Lily. Resign."

Lily sighed. "All right." 

"Bella, I think you should quit too," Sirius said worriedly. "I don't want you working there anymore."

"I guess. I don't want to work there if Lily isn't. But where will we find jobs like these?"

Lily picked up a magazine on their coffee table. "Hey, guess what?"

"What?" Bella asked.

"Witch Weekly is looking for some journalists."

"Cool."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Please review!


	13. Hot Guys and Mind Tricks

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: You guys are wonderful! Thank you for all the marvelous reviews.

YAY!! I finished my stupid project!! I'm so happy! But then, I have to present it tomorrow…and I have a history final on Monday…this stinks…

These last few chapters had been a bit brief, but I really, really, want to get to the juicy parts.

To DracoNGin527: Thanks for you review. Er…about it…Lily and Bella worked there for a couple of weeks, about a little more than a month. Just want you to know.

To e!i: A bit fluff is in this chapter. Sirius and Bella again. More later. 

To Amber: Thank you! I try to make my chapters as humorous as possible (well, when it's needed). I'm glad you like. 

Chapter 13

The next day, Lily and Bella handed in their resignation forms to the Daily Prophet Headquarters. Then, they went back to their apartment and followed the address of the Witch Weekly to it's building.

"Hello?" Bella asked a witch (about thirty-something years old) in the building. "We read that you need a couple of journalists. We'd like to apply?"

"Ah. Please follow me, girls." The witch led them into her office. "All right. First of all, you are…?"

"Bella Figg."

"Lily Evans."

"Right. Ms. Figgs and Ms. Evans. I am Carla Levinston, editor here. Now you want to apply to work for our magazine. Do you two have resumes?"

"Yes," Lily said, handing the witch a piece of parchment. Bella followed suit.

"Hmm…very impressive…Hogwarts graduates…Head Girl and prefect…very nice…. Oh, you've also worked for the Daily Prophet? Yes…nice…Okay." She looked up. "This is very good. But I need to ask a few questions before I can give you the jobs…an interview.

"Okay, Ms. Evans…you were Head Girl…and I see you received a lot of N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s…nice…. You've had a very good job at the Daily Prophet. What made you leave?"

"Well," Lily began, "it's a bit personal, if you don't mind. I'd prefer not to say."

"Not at all. I respect your privacy. What about you, Ms. Figgs?" 

"I left because my best friend did. And because my boyfriend persuaded me to." (a/n: how straightforward can she be?)

"Okay. That's good enough for us. You got the jobs. But I need to find out what positions to give you. As you know, Witch Weekly is a magazine for both teenage and elder witches. The elder sections are covered already, so our company needs a couple of witches to handle the teenage areas. You two are, as I observed, just pass that age, so I can imagine that you can relate to them. So let's see…. Ms. Evans, you can run the advice column." 

Lily nodded. 

"And Ms. Figgs, you are going to be working on the new news column, like new fashion or stars. Is this okay?"

"Yes."

"Great. You can start tomorrow."

(a/n: Yes, I know. Very, very fake. I've never had a job interview so I haven't the slightest idea how it goes. And in the wizard world too! I just imagine things as I go along. Sorry.)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, James and Sirius just finished their classes for the day. Then apparated back to James' house. They grabbed some snacks from the kitchen and went up to James' room. James plopped down on his bed and start eating his apple absently. 

"James?" Sirius asked, over at James' desk.

"Yeah?"

"What's up? You've been acting all weird today. You were hardly listening when Moody was talking."

"Well…I was just thinking about Lily."

"Don't you always?"

"I guess…but after this Mr. Pikes thing, I've been a bit worried about her. I love her, Sirius, and I don't want her to get hurt. I mean, she's gorgeous. There'll be a bunch of guys after her. I wish there's something I can do about it."

"Why don't you ask her to marry you?" Sirius asked.

"Marriage?"

"Yeah. I mean, you love her. So, why not?"

"Well, I have thought about it. It's just, neither of us have had steady jobs yet, and if I marry Lily, I want to be able to support her."

"Well, I guess you'll just have to wait until you're finish with Aurors School. It's only going to be, what, five more months? Four?"

"Somewhere in between. I'm just afraid that during this long period, something will happen."

"Well…you can get engaged. I mean, that way, you don't have to marry yet, and you can claim her."

"Sirius, you are brilliant!"

"I've always been."

"Whatever. So should I buy an engagement ring or something?"

"Yeah, you should."

"Hmm…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Later that day, James and Sirius went to the girls apartment to wait for their girlfriends.

"Did you guys made it?" James asked, as they entered.

"Yeah. And you don't have to worry, because it's all girls there," Lily answered.

"I know…pity," Bella said, in mock pain. "I wish there were some hot guys working there."

"I'm sorry," Sirius said, not noticing her sarcasm. "Did I just hear you correctly? Hot guys??"

Lily and James watched the couple, interested.

"Yes, you did. I'll say it again. I wish there were some hot guys there."

"There's a hot guy right here!"

"I know, but James' taken."

"I was talking about me!"

"What about you?"

"Hello?! I'm your boyfriend! Don't be talking about hot guys in front of me!"

"So it's all right if I talk about them behind you?"

"Yes--no! It's not all right!"

"What's not?"

"You talking about them!"

"About who?"

"The--the hot guys!"

"There're hot guys? Where?"

"Right here!"

"I told you, James' taken."

"Not James!"

"Are you saying James' not hot?"

"No."

"So you think he's hot?"

"Yes--I mean….ARGH!! BELLA!!"

Lily, James, and Bella all burst out laughing.

"I hate your stupid mind tricks, Bella!" Sirius cried, frustrated.

"I'm sorry, baby. I was just kidding. I think you are very hot. The only hot guy I need."

"That's a lot better." Sirius leaned in to kiss Bella. When he pulled away, he said, "Do you really think James hotter than me?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Okay, my chapters are getting weirder and weirder. I don't care. The last time I made Bella tease Sirius, a lot of people liked it, so I added some more. I hope I didn't wear it out. Anyway, please review. 


	14. Valorie Kunners

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I love you guys!

To Lily Flower: If I tell you when James propose, that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? = )

To Brittny: Hilarious.

To Little House Girl: I haven't really thought about it yet. I don't think I will. But even if I do make them fight, I promise it'll be very small.

To DracoNGin527: Yes, I know I'm rushing things a bit, and for that I apologizes. Thanks for your help with the interview thingy. Oh well, too late to fix it now.

Chapter 14

It was the first day of work at the Witch Weekly. Lily and Bella are much less nervous, because they have both been through this already. Carla showed them to their work area and introduced them to a couple of other girls there.

"This is Katie," Carla said, gesturing towards a witch, in about her thirties. "She covers advertisements. You know, stuff that teenage girls like."

"Hi," Lily and Bella said.

"Hey," Katie replied with a warm smile.

"That's Sophie," Carla continued, pointing to another girl, working on something at her desk.

"She works on interviews." Then Carla added in a softer tone, "Sophie's nice, but don't ever bother her when she's busy. You don't want to know what happens when you do. And let's see…there's one person missing….she's probably out working on something. She'll be back later. I'll introduce you then. Anyways, I've got to go work on something else now. You guys can get started. If you need help, just ask Katie and (if she's not busy) Sophie. Good luck." Carla left.

Lily and Bella began working. A couple of hours later, a girl at exactly the same age as Lily and Bella showed up. She was very pretty with off-the-shoulders, dark blond hair and dark--almost black-- blue eyes. An unusual combination, yet this girl made it work somehow. 

"Hey Lorie," Katie said. 

"Hey." She walked over to Lily and Bella. "Hi!" she said cheerfully. "Carla told me you guys will be working here. I was a bit late, out looking for a new home…. Anyways, I'm Valorie Kunners. You can call me Lorie, though."

"Hi," Lily said. "I'm Lily."

"And I'm Bella."

Silence.

"What do you do, Lorie?" Bella asked.

"Huh?"

"I mean, what's your job here?"

"Oh. I'm responsible for the images…you know, on the cover and stuff to go with the articles and all."

"Ooh…"

"Yeah….So…Carla told me you guys went to Hogwarts."

"Yeah," Lily said. "What about you?"

"I went to Beauxbatons. I moved here right after I graduated."

"Cool…. What about your family?" Bella asked

"Oh…erm…my parents died when I was twelve. I didn't have any siblings."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."

They really hit it off. By the end of that day, Lorie had quickly became friends with Lily and Bella. In fact, Lily even invited Lorie over for dinner tomorrow.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Nice place," Lorie said, entering the apartment the next day.

"Thanks," Lily said. "We just move in about two months ago."

"You guys are so lucky. I got kicked out of my apartment a few days ago. That's why I was late yesterday. I was looking for a new place."

"Why were you kicked out?" Bella asked.

"Some other people came and offered more money for it. The owner--he's really greedy--took it right away. Came and told me I got to move."

"Why didn't you do anything about it?"

"Tried to, of course. But he said the other people really need it. So I thought moving out's the right thing to do. I mean, if they need it more than me, then they should get it."

"And now you don't have a place to stay?"

"Yup…I've been staying at the Leaky Cauldron…but it can't be a permanent home."

"You know…" Lily began slowly. "We have an extra room. Why don't you come live with us?"

"Really? I mean, I think that's great. But we did just meet each other yesterday. Do you guys trust me enough?"

"Why not?" Bella said. "We're the kind of people who gives everybody our trust, until they've proven that they don't deserves it. And you fully have our trust right now."

"Well…if you're sure…then thanks. Thanks a lot. Can I see the room?"

"Oh, yeah, of course." Lily led Lorie to the room; Bella went into the kitchen to prepare the food.

"This is it," Lily said. "It's a bit small, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. It's larger than the one at the Leaky Cauldron. And much more comfortable-looking too."

"It's ready for you, whenever you want to movie in."

"Well, I want to move out of the Leaky Cauldron as soon as possible. And I don't have much stuff. Can I just apparate to the Leaky Cauldron and magic some of it here? I'll bring the rest tomorrow."

"That's fine."

So, Lorie did. Then the girls sat down and ate dinner. They learn tons about each other.

"So…do you have a boyfriend?" Bella asked Lorie.

"Nah. My old boyfriend broke up with me when he found out I'm moving…you know, from France to here? Yeah, well, he said he couldn't handle a long distance relationship."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I'm over him. What about you two?"

"We have steady boyfriends," Bella said. "They're coming over tomorrow. You can meet them then."

"Cool."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Please review.


	15. Sirius, You Pervert!

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I love you guys!

To Hmmm: I tried my best. = )

To e!i: I've had everything planned out already, but I am not going to tell you. You'll just have to read to find out. = )

To Lily Flower: Well, I'll give you a bit of a hint, okay? James is going to propose SOON. 

And why is everybody wondering about this Lorie? Maybe because I made her a bit suspicious and mysterious? Well, just read on and find out.

To Offended: You reviewed "I Knew I Loved You" anonymously, but since I'm finished with that, there's no way I could tell you this. You probably won't even read this one. But I would like to say that I am so sorry. I have no intentions of offending anybody. I mean it. I just like to vary my characters; since Lily's a redhead and Bella's a brunette, I want some different characteristics. I am very sorry that I offended you. I really don't mean anything against blondes. Some of my friends are and I love them to death, so I would never do anything to offend them or any others. Please, please understand.

Chapter 15

The next day, Lorie had all her stuff set up in her room already. Then, she helped Bella and Lily make dinner for the boys.

"Oh no!" Lily cried.

"What?" Lorie asked, alarmed.

"We're out of eggs!"

"Oh. Why don't you just magic some up?"

"No. The store-bought ones are much better! Especially the muggle kind."

"Oh. Well, I'm free. I can go get it."

"Oh thank you, Lorie."

"No problem." So Lorie left the apartment. She walked a bit down driveway of the apartment, when she heard a strange noise. Lorie looked up at the tree nearby and saw a small cat stuck up there.

"Aw…poor kitty." Lorie was about to magic it down, when she remembered that this is a muggle neighborhood. "Oops." She sighed. "Better do it the hard way then." So she climbed.

Just then, Sirius, James, and Remus walked by.

"Hey James," Sirius said, pointing up at the tree. "Look! There's a girl up there." They walked underneath it. The girl was pretty high up. "Nice legs," Sirius whispered to James and Remus.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Padfoot!" Remus said disgustedly.

"Yeah, you've got Bella," James added. Then he called up to the girl, "Hey! What are you doing up there?"

Lorie, startled by James' calls, fell out of the tree and right on top of Remus.

Sirius laughed as James said, "Oops."

Lorie stood up. "I am so sorry," she said, holding out a hand to help Remus up.

Remus took it. "It's all right…. Shut up," he added to Sirius, who was still laughing.

"What were you doing up there?" James asked.

"Oh. Well, I was suppose to get some stuff at the market…but, erm, I saw this kitty up there, and decided to help it."

"I'll get it," Remus offered. He climbed up and got the kitty quickly. (a/n: remember, they didn't know that Lorie's a witch, so they didn't do magic in front of her. And the whole muggle neighbors thing.) "Here," Remus said, handing the small cat over to Lorie.

"Thanks." Lorie cuddled it for a second, before setting it free. She turned to Remus. "Thanks again."

"No problem," Remus replied. They stared absently at each other for a long time. Sirius noticed this, smiled inwardly, and cleared his throat. "Ahem."

Lorie snapped out of her trance, blushed, and said, "Erm…well, I best be off now. Bye."

"Bye…" Remus said, looking after her.

"You know, Moony," Sirius said pompously, "she's pretty good-looking. But you probably noticed already, judging by the way you were looking at her."

"Shut up, Padfoot," Remus said. "You were the one who was perverted enough to look up her skirt."

"Yeah, you pervert," James said, laughing.

"Hey, I just passed my teenage years. This takes some time; what do you expect?"

Then they went inside the girls' apartment.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Lily, I got the eggs!" Lorie called, entering the apartment. Then she saw the boys she had met earlier. "What are you doing here?"

"We should ask you that," Sirius said.

Just then, Lily came out of the kitchen. 

"Thanks," Lily said, taking the eggs from Lorie. Then she noticed the boys and Lorie looking at her weirdly. "Oh you guys haven't met our new roommate yet, have you?"

"Yes, we have," James said. "She landed on Remus."

"Huh?" Then Bella called from the kitchen. "Oh, you guys introduce yourself. Bella and I have to finish up something." Then she rushed into the kitchen.

"Well," Lorie began awkwardly. "I'm Valorie Kunners', Bella's and Lily's new roomie."

"Hi," James said. "I'm James Potter, Lily's boyfriend." They shook hands.

"I'm Sirius Black, Bella's boyfriend." Then he added quietly to James, "But now I wish I wasn't."

James laughed and whacked Sirius upside his head. 

Remus shook Lorie's hand too. "I'm Remus Lupin, nobody's boyfriend." Then he blushed, realizing what he just said. Sirius and James laughed, while Lorie smiled.

"Dinner's ready!" Lily called.

They walked into the kitchen.

"The table's a bit too small, isn't it?" Bella commented.

"I'll take care of it," Lorie said. She enlarged it with an engorgement charm.

James, Sirius, and Remus stared.

"You're a witch?" Sirius asked.

"No, Sirius," Bella said sarcastically. "She's a magician. Of course she's a witch!"

Then they all sat down; James next to Lily; Bella on the other side of Lily, and next to her is Sirius; and then Remus and Lorie. They finished the dinner quickly, over some small conversations for the boys to get to know Lorie better. Then they all settled in the living room for some deserts. Bella and Sirius squeezed into an armchair together, while the rest settled on the couch. Lily picked up a copy of a muggle magazineand leaf through it.

"Why are you looking at that?" Bella asked.

"Checking out what's new in the muggle world."

"Oh."

Silence.

"Ooh!" Lily cried suddenly. "Guess what?"

"What?" James asked, smiling.

"They're opening a new muggle amusement park really nearby!"

"Amusement park?" Sirius asked.

"Don't you remember from Muggle Studies?" Bella asked. "It's a theme park with loads of rides, things to do, junky food and--"

"Junk food?" Sirius' eyes lit up. "As in non-healthy food? As is food that do you no good? Cool."

"When's it opening?" Remus asked.

"This Saturday," Lily replied. "Let's check it out."

"Cool," Bella said. "We can triple date."

"Triple date?" Lorie asked.

"Yeah. Sirius and I, James and Lily, and you and Remus. That is, if you guys are up to it."

"It's fine with me," Remus said automatically, secretly loving the idea.

"Me too," agreed Lorie.

"Great!" Sirius said. "Cholesterol, here we come."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Please review.


	16. The Triple Dates

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing.

Yay! One more day of school and nine more days until the Order of the Phoenix come out! I'm so happy!

Sorry. I was about to update, but for some reason, fanfiction.net wouldn't let me.

To Alriadne: Thank you so much! Your review was really helpful. Yes, I know. A few other readers/reviewers had told me that I switch my tenses sometimes. So does my English teacher. I try my best, I really do. I still have some problem with it, though I promise I will try to edit my chapters better. And, about the characters thing, yes, I know. I have some problems with that too. I will try harder to develop them more. Once again, thanks for your wonderful review. If you see anything else, I hope you wouldn't mind giving me some more suggestions. I'd love to improve my writing.

Chapter 16

Saturday came. The girls woke up late to a beautiful day.

"'Morning," Bella said cheerfully, meeting the girls in the living room. They were all still in their pajamas.

"'Morning," Lily and Lorie replied. 

"When are the boys picking us up?" Bella asked.

"Boys?" Lorie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Er, yeah. Remember? Today's the triple date."

"Oh yeah!"

"Yeah…" Lily said. "They're picking us up for breakfast and then the amusement park, right?"

"Well, it's a bit late for breakfast," Bella said, looking at the clock on the wall. "It's almost lunchtime."

"Oh right."

"So when are they coming?"

"Er…in about an hour and a half."

"An hour and a half??" cried Lorie. "Well, what are we doing here? We need to get ready!" Then she rushed off to the bathroom, mumbling something about not looking nice enough for Remus.

"You know," Bella said to Lily, "I think Lorie likes Remus."

"Yeah, and it's that he likes her too."

"Hehehe…they'll look so cute together."

"Yeah…" Then they went to look for some outfits.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Wear this, Lily," Bella said, holding up a knee-length, white skirt and a matching tank top. "It's very cute. And today's pretty warm, so it'll be fitting."

"All right," Lily agreed. She held up a pair of red pants and a white tee shirt. "Here, Lorie. This'll look nice on you."

"Thanks," Lorie said. Then she handed Bella a pair of faded blue jeans. "Wear this with your light pink tank top. You'll look so fine, Sirius will get a nose bleed." They all burst out laughing.

When they were done with clothing, the girls moved on to a bit of cosmetics. When they were all done, the girls sat in the living room to wait for James, Sirius, and Remus to pick them up.

About twenty minutes later, the boys showed up.

"Hey," James said. "Are you girls ready?"

"Yeah," Lily said, taking James' arm. "Let's go."

"Where are we having lunch?" Bella asked.

"Er," James said, "we're just going to have some of those--waddaya call 'em?--oh yeah, pizzas at the park." 

"Oh," Bella said, looking a bit disappointed. She thought they were going somewhere special.

"No need to look down, Bella," Sirius said, grinning. "We have better plans for dinner."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Wow!" Lily exclaimed. "This park is beautiful!"

"Yeah," Lorie agreed. "Where to first?"

"Let's have lunch first," Sirius said. "I'm hungry!"

"Good idea," Remus said. "Wow, I'd never thought I'd ever say those words together to Sirius."

"Shut up."

"Yeah, well it is a good idea," James said. "We should eat before we go on any of the rides."

So the went to one of the many pizza places and sat down to order their food. When they were all done, Bella said, "Where should we go now?"

"Well, since we just ate, I don't think it's smart to go on any of those," James said, pointing to a huge roller coaster nearby.

"Nor should we go on the water rides," Lily added. "We should leave that for the afternoon, when the sun is high."

"I think," spoke up Remus, who had been looking at a pamphlet, "that we should go to the bumper cars. It's not too rough, and it sounds really fun. We should also try the fun house and the haunted mansion. After that, we should go on those roller coasters. Then on the way to the water rides, we can try those mid-way games. And after the water rides, we should finish up with the Farris wheel."

"Sounds like fun," Lorie said, smiling.

"All right then," Sirius said. "Let's go."

So they head over to the bumper cars and got in line. After quite a long wait, the six finally got seated. As the bell rung, the little cars began to shoot everywhere. The funniest part was when Sirius' car got jammed and got hit by a bunch of people. Then the group headed over to the fun house. James jumped when he saw his image in one of those funky mirrors. He was short and plump. Sirius laughed until he saw _his_ reflection in a similar mirror and cried out in surprise. They went to the haunted mansion next. James and Lily rode in a cart, while Sirius rode with Bella, and Remus with Lorie. Sirius came out claiming that it was not at all scary, but when he was in the bathroom, Bella told the rest that Sirius was clinging onto her arm when a mutant skeleton popped out at them. Everybody laughed.

"What's so funny?" Sirius asked, coming out of the bathroom.

"Nothing, Sirius," James said, containing his laughter. "Nothing."

They tried the roller coasters next. After the third one, Lily said that she couldn't take it anymore. So they went to find the water rides. On the way, they played a bunch of sideway games. Each of the Marauders won their dates a stuffed animal. James got Lily a little green frog; Remus got Lorie one of those long curling snakes; and Sirius got Bella a penguin.

"Aw…" Bella said, hugging the penguin. Then she hugged Sirius. "Thank you, baby. I'll name it Lil' Sirius. Reminds me of you."

"Yeah, yeah," Sirius said, as the other laughed. "You guys--" but then he saw a man carrying some cotton candy. "Ooh!" Sirius cried, like a little kid. "Cotton candy!" He chased after the man and got some.

They moved along to the water rides next. It was so much fun, but everybody got soaking wet. They quickly went to the bathroom to magic themselves dry, trying not to catch anyone's attention. While in the boys' bathroom, Sirius whispered to James, "So, did you get it yet?"

"Yeah," James said.

"When are you giving it to her?"

"On the Farris wheel. It's supposed to stop for about ten minutes or so when we reach the top. That's why Remus planned it last."

"Cool."

When everybody was done, the six went to the Farris wheel. James got into one with Lily, Sirius with Bella, and Remus with Lorie. The wheel spun slowly, giving the riders a great view of things.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: A bit cliffhanger. Hope it's well edited. The next chapter will be what's going on during the Farris wheel ride. It is extra fluffy and romantic. So please review.


	17. Will You Marry Me?

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing.

To Little House Girl and e!i: I hope that this is enough fluff! 

Three different situations are going in this chapter. In one cart, Remus is dealing with Lorie. In another, Sirius is dealing with Bella. And in the last one, well, James and Lily. I don't want to spoil anything, so just read.

Chapter 17

"So…" Remus began awkwardly to Lorie. They were all alone without the others, and were both feeling very weird.

"So…" Lorie said.

"Er…have you a nice time today?"

"Oh, yes. Very. Thank you for the snake; I love it."

"I'm glad you do."

"And I've a really fun time today with you…and er, the rest of them."

"Me too…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Can you see anything?" Sirius asked Bella, trying to see what's going on in the cart ahead of them, containing James and Lily.

"No…why are you spying on them anyways?"

"Because, James is going to propose!"

"Oh my gosh! Really??"

"Yes, really."

"Well stop looking! This is their special moment! They wouldn't want you ruining it."

"Yeah, well there's nothing else to do and no one interesting to watch."

"Excuse me? Am I boring you?"

"That's not what I meant!"

"That's what you said." Bella said all of this in a mock hurt voice. But, like always, Sirius didn't get it and thought that she was really mad.

"Aw, c'mon, Bella!"

"No." She turned her back to him and smiled to herself.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So…" James began, nervously. He had never felt like this before. Even though he knew that Lily is the perfect one for him, he hopes that she feels the same way. "Did you have a nice time today?"

"The best." Lily flashed him one of her beautiful smile, showing him her deep dimples. James' heart did a little flip-flop. *Oh lord…* he thought.

"Lily…I want to ask you something…"

"What is it, James?"

"Well…er…let's see…. How should I begin this?"

"Just come out and say it."

"All right." He took a deep breath. "Lily…. I've never told you this, but before I met you…. I've had these weird dreams."

"Weird dreams?"

"Yeah…. In each one of them, I see myself holding hand with a beautiful girl with flaming red hair and magnificent green eyes. And when I saw you, Lily, I _knew_ that you were the one. I _knew_ I loved you. It might've taken you sometime to realize that you like me too, but I've always loved you, Lily. You, you were that special girl from my dreams…. At first, I couldn't believe that it was you. I thought that it was all just another dream. But it wasn't. You're real, Lily. And you might think that this is silly, but I sometimes think that I dreamed you into life. That…that we're meant to be together. Like, after all we've been through, we're still here. Just here. Here for each other. I… I love you, Lily. And I always will. That will never change no matter what happen. Lily, I promise you, I'll take care of you forever. I'll love you until the end of the world. I'll love you until the day I die, and even then, I promise I'll still love you. So…will you…." He took out a small box from his pocket and held out a beautiful ring to Lily. "Will you marry me, Lily?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"What a great view," Remus said, trying to create a conversation.

"Yeah…. It's a bit chilly though." Lorie shivered. "I should've brought a jacket."

"Oh. Too bad I don't have mine either. Otherwise I'd offer it…. But you know what? Why don't you scoot closer? It'll be warmer."

"Okay." So she did. After awhile, Lorie shivered again, and little goosebumps formed in her skin. Automatically, Remus put his arms around her and held her even closer to his body. She looked up at him gratefully and smiled. Remus smiled back.

"You know, Lorie," he said, making up his mind. This girl is really nice. He is not going to pass up this chance. "I really had a nice time with you today. I really, really like you too. Would you like to go out with me again? You know, like, officially?"

Lorie smiled. "I'd love to."

"Really?"

"Really. I like you a lot too." Remus gave her a peck on the cheek and held her tighter. They stayed in that comfortable position for the rest of the ride.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Come on, Bella!" Sirius cried, frustrated.

"No," Bella said stubbornly. "You hurt my feelings."

"I didn't mean to!"

"Well you did anyways!"

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry. How can I make it up?"

"Hmm…" Bella thought this over. She turned around to face Sirius. "I want you to give me a star. And I want to kiss it."

"Easy," Sirius said. He was about to raise his wand, when Bella pulled his hand back. 

"Without magic," she said.

"Bella! How do you expect me to do that?"

"I don't. But you have to either do that, or forget it."

Sirius sank back in his seat and thought about this. He scratched his head. Bella smiled to herself. She loves watching him squirm.

"I've got it!" Sirius cried, after quite a long while. 

"What? Where's my star? And the kiss? I want to kiss a star."

"You're wish is my command." Sirius leaned in to kiss Bella, but she pulled away.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, you want a star. So here I am. Sirius _is_ a star. The brightest one in this universe, in fact. And here, I'm giving you the kiss you want."

Bella smiled. "So…you aren't just looks."

"Yup…. Hey! That's not nice."

"Well, you still owe me my kiss."

Sirius smiled and leaned in and kissed Bella passionately.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lily stared from the ring to James and from James to the ring.

"Lily?" James asked uncertainly. *Oh no…. She's going to say no…*

Lily began to cry. Just cried.

"Lily? Are you okay? Did I do something to offend you?"

"N-no, James. I-I just…. That was so beautiful James. That's the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me…. Why are you so darn wonderful, James?"

"So…. Is it a yes, or what?"

"No, James. It's not a yes."

"I-it's not? Oh…. W-well…can I ask why?"

"It's not a yes because it's a DEFINITELY!!"

James breathed again. "I love you, Lily." He slipped the ring onto her finger.

"I love you too, James."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Please review!

****


	18. Wedding Plans

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing.

Chapter 18

After the Farris wheel ride was over, the six went to dinner in a pretty fancy muggle restaurant. As they waited for their food, Sirius said to James and Lily, "So, congratulation, you two."

"Congratulation for what?" Lorie asked.

"Their engagement!"

"Oh my gosh, you proposed?" Lorie asked James. He nodded.

"Ooh! Congratulations!"

"When are you getting married?" Bella asked.

"Er…" Lily looked at James.

"Well, Aurors' School ends in about a month or so. Then we'd be fully trained Aurors. And we can plan our wedding in between. How long does it take anyways?"

"A couple of months, I think," Remus said.

"So…in about three months? Maybe four?" James guessed.

"Did you tell your parents yet?" Lily asked.

"Er…oops….I forgot. I'll tell them tonight. Will you come with me?"

Lily looked a bit scared, but nodded.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That night, James took Lily to his house. Lily stood in front of it anxiously. James put an arm around her.

"Don't worry, Lily," he said soothingly. "I'm here."

Lily nodded and they entered the house.

"Mum?" James called. "Dad?"

"We're in here, sweetie!" Mrs. Potter called from the living room.

"Hi Mrs. Potter," Lily said. "Mr. Potter."

"Lily!" James' mum gave her a hug. "Nice to see you. How have you been?"

"Fine, thanks."

"Come. Sit down, sit down," Mr. Potter said, gesturing to the couch.

"Let me make some tea," his wife said.

"No wait, mum," James said. "We have something important to tell you."

"What is it, honey?" his mum said sitting back down.

"Well…we're engaged!"

The Potters were shocked.

"Y-you're _engaged_?" Mr. Potter asked.

"W-without telling us first?" Mrs. Potter added.

"Well, yeah," James said.

The Potters sat stunned for a while. Lily knew they were trying to get over the surprise and thinking about this at the same time. She bit her bottom lip nervously.

Mr. Potter was very surprise. But he soon got over it and congratulated them. Then the three of them waited for Mrs. Potter. At long last, James' mum finally burst out crying and hugged Lily. "C-congratulations, you two. I know that you will be happy together. I fully support this." She love her son. And she wanted him to be happy. She knew that Lily makes him happy. And she knew that they loved each other and will take care of each other. She only hesitated because she know that James will need less of her. He's all grown up now, and Lily's taking over her place.

"Thank you," Lily said, on the verge of crying too. But as though she had read her mind, Lily added quietly in Mrs. Potters' ears, "James is still your son. I can never replace the relationship between you and him. And I don't want to try. I love your son, Mrs. Potter."

"I know you do. And I know you'll take good care of him."

"So…" Mr. Potter said. "When's the wedding?"

"Well, Mister and Mrs. Potter--" Lily began.

"You mean mum and dad?" James said, grinning.

Lily blushed. "Well, _mum and dad_, James is going to finish Aurors' School soon. We plan to have the wedding about a month afterward."

"That quick?" Mrs. Potter asked. "You won't have time to plan the wedding! Need to find a hall…and caterers…and…"

"No, no," James said. "We don't want anything big. Just friends and family."

"And we don't need a hall, either," Lily said. "We were hoping to set up something in your backyard or something."

"Are you sure?" Mr. Potter asked.

"Yes," James answered.

"Well, then you may use it."

"Thanks dad."

"What about…."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

So for the next two months, James, Sirius, and Remus focused on finishing up the training school, while the girls ran about to plan the wedding. Bella was going to be the bridesmaid, and Lorie will be the maid of honor (a/n: is that what those extra bridesmaid are called? I have no clue). They found some pretty dresses. Then they made a pretty short guests' list. Some family and friends from Hogwarts. The staffs there were invited too, and Dumbledore agreed to wed them. After that, James and Lily went and found a small house pretty near Lily's apartment. They were going to move in after the wedding.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Sorry this is short, but I promise a really fluffy chapter tomorrow. Please review.


	19. Under The Moon

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing.

To emerald eyes, Bic Papermate, and Undercover Angel: Thank you for telling me about the bridesmaid and maid of honor thing.

Okay, thanks to those three reviewers, I am going to fix my mistakes. Bella will be the maid of honor and Lorie will be the bridesmaid. Sorry.

Chapter 19

The girls were hard at work at the Witch Weekly. Lorie and Bella approached Lily's desk.

"Whoa, Lily," Bella said. "What's with all these letters? I thought you were the advice columnist, not Santa Claus."

"Well, since I've been missing work to plan the wedding these past few days, I have loads to make up."

"Do you need help?" Lorie asked.

"Well, yes. But aren't you two busy with your own work?"

"All done." 

"Me too."

"Okay, great." Lily handed them some letters. "Please take care of these for me."

Dear Lily,

It's been weeks since my boyfriend said he loved me. Is it just me, or is he losing interest?

Sign,

Rachel, 16

"Er… how do I answer this, Lily?" Bella asked.

"However you like. I'm dealing with a bunch of toughies here."

"Okay."

Dear Rachel,

Talk to your boyfriend. Be honest with him and tell him what you are thinking. If he's not losing interest, then problem solved. If he is, then, well, dump him and find someone else who is interested. It's a win-win situation.

Good-luck,

Bella

She showed it to Lily.

"It's fine except for one thing," Lily said.

"What?"

"Well you signed it _Bella._ Change it to Lily, please?"

"Oh. Right. My bad."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

One night before the full moon, and around two months until the wedding, Remus and Lorie were taking a walk near the apartments. They walked silently, hand-in-hand, under the nearly full moon. Then, Remus led Lorie to a wooden bench and they sat down, arms-in-arms.

"Hmm…" Lorie sighed peacefully. "The moon is so bright tonight…tomorrow's the full moon, right?"

"Yes, it is…unfortunately," Remus added quietly. But Lorie had heard him. She sat up and looked at him strangely.

"What do you mean unfortunately?" she asked. "I love the moon, especially when it's full." She looked up at it. "It's just simply…beautiful."

"Yeah, well, I hate it!"

"Why? The moon's wonderful!" she said, taking his hand and holding it warmly. She looked back up at the moon. "It…it's so radiant…so pure…. It shines so brightly, lighting up the night sky…up there with the sparkling stars and all…" She laughed. "I-I sometimes think of the moon as a pearl in the sky…and the stars are little jewels…mixed together in a big, dark jewelry box…. How can you hate something so…so magnificent?"

"I just do, okay?!"

"But--"

"Shut up!" he yelled. "You don't understand! You just don't understand! So just shut up!"

Lorie looked at Remus, frightened. This was the first time he had ever get angry with her. It was the first time she had seen him angry period. And it scares her. But not as much as it pained her. Tears formed in Lories' eyes. She looked at Remus with a hurt expression before letting go of his hand and looking at the ground. She stood up to leave, when Remus reached out and pulled her back. She wouldn't look at him.

"I-I'm sorry, Lorie," he said. "I-I didn't mean to blow up. I'm sorry."

"Was it s-something I said?" Lorie whispered tearfully.

"No…no…it wasn't. I-I'm sorry. I-I really didn't mean what I said." He placed his hand under her chin and lifted it up. Remus then moved his hands to caress her cheeks and wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry…. But I have something very important to tell you."

"Yeah?" Lorie prompted him.

"Well…the reason why I'm so bitter at the moon is…because…because I'm a…I'm a werewolf." He looked at Lorie reluctantly, afraid of her reactions. But to his greatest surprise, Lorie smiled.

"Is that all?"

"What? You mean you're not scared? Shouldn't you be telling me we're through?"

"No. Do you want me to?"

"Of course not. B-but did you not hear me? I said I'm a werewolf."

"Yes, I heard you. So what?"

"You seriously mean you're not scared?"

"Why would I be? You're not dangerous right now. And even though you are on full moons, I know you won't hurt me. And you're not just a werewolf. You're Remus. And I love you."

"Are you serious?"

"No, I'm Lorie."

"C'mon."

"Yes. I'm dead serious. I love you."

Remus smiled. This was the girl Lily was talking about. One that truly loves him for what he is. One that accepts him. And one that he loved too. "I love you too." And they leaned in to kiss. It wasn't one of those long, hungry kisses. No. It was short, sweet, and passionate--powerful in everyway. And together, did this couple remained under the bright moon for the rest of the night; the moonlight reflecting on them.

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A/N: A short chapter, but pretty fluffy, huh? Well, review to let me know, please. By the way, I hope it's well-edited.


	20. Please Don't Go

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you everybody who reviewed. You guys rocks!

To uknowwhoslittleprincess: Thank you for telling me about the bridesmaid and maid of honor thing. I wrote chapter 19 before I saw your review. That's why I didn't mention you. Sorry.

Okay, I had this chapter planned a long time ago, but I didn't really think about the details. So I just write as ideas popped in my head. Just want to warn you that it might be a tad weird. But, don't worry. I assure you, this chapter is very sweet…very sad…and very fluffy.

Chapter 20

Time passed by quickly. On the day before James, Sirius, and Remus finish training school, the Marauders--yes, even Peter--Bella, and Lily were hanging in the apartment.

"Where's Lorie?" Remus wondered.

"Er, she's still at work," Bella said. "Carla asked her to stay behind for some reason."

Just then, Lorie apparated in. Her eyes were very red, as though she had been crying.

"Lorie!" Remus cried, standing up from his seat and went over to Lorie. He gave her a gentle hug. "What's wrong?"

"C-Carla had s-some news to tell me," Lorie said. Remus walked her over to the couch and they sat down.

"Is it bad?" Lily asked.

"W-well… it's good _and_ b-bad."

"What is it?" Sirius questioned.

"Witch Weekly is opening a new d-department and the b-big boss want to move me to it for two years. He saw some of my ph-photos and said that the n-new place really needs me."

"Well that's great!" Bella said.

"Yes. But the unfortunate thing is…it's in the states."

"You mean like…in America?" Remus asked.

"Yes."

"No…no…" he said. Remus walked out of the apartment. Lorie ran after him. She found him sitting on that bench in the park. The one that they had sat on a few weeks ago. She sat down next to him, but remained silent. After awhile, Remus turned around to look at her.

"Don't go," he whispered.

"I don't want to," she whispered back, tears brimming in her eyes. "But I must. The company said they _really_ need me over there." The tears spilled.

"Just tell them no!" 

"I tried that. I did. But Carla said if I don't, then I'm fired."

"Then quit! Find another job!"

"But I love my job."

"More than me??"

"Of course not. How could you say that?"

"I'm sorry…. It's just…don't go…" He hated for his girlfriend to see him cry. But he just can't contain his tears. Remus looked around, trying to avoid Lorie's eyes. "Please…don't go…please…you _can't_ go. You can't leave me. I love you. I-I've never felt this way about anyone else. Sure, I've thought that I've been in love before. But I've _never _feltlove this strongly about anyone but you. I really love you, Lorie. I-I need you. So…don't go…don't…"

Lorie pulled Remus into a kiss. When they let go, she whispered, "I'm sorry. I love you too, but I have to go…. Besides, it's only two years. It'll go by quickly. Very soon. And I promise, I'll owl you every day."

Remus nodded reluctantly. "Okay. But let's promise: we have to write everyday."

"I promise." Lorie held out her pinky.

Remus laughed. He linked pinky with her.

"C'mon," Lorie said. "Let's get back. They might be worry."

"All right."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So…when are you leaving, Lorie?" Sirius asked, once Remus and Lorie had returned and assured everybody that they were fine.

"In about a month," Lorie answered. Then she noticed Lily's expression. "But don't worry. I'll still be able to make it to the wedding."

"Good," Lily said.

"Aw man…" Bella said suddenly.

"What?" James asked.

"Well, with Lily moving out after your wedding, and Lorie leaving, I'm going to be alone in this apartment!"

"Well…" Sirius began, "I was thinking about that. Why don't Remus and I move in? I can take over Lily's old room, and Remus can crash in Lorie's. Remember? We were talking about moving out after the training school…which ends tomorrow. So we can stay at our place for a few more weeks, until after Lily and Lorie move out."

"That's fine with me," Lily said.

"Me too," Lorie added.

"Yeah…" Remus said. Then he smiled. "Staying in your room will remind me a lot of you," he said to Lorie.

"Well good," Lorie smiled too. "You better not forget about me."

"Don't worry; I will," he joked.

"Oh? Well, then…maybe I'm going to meet a really cute American boy…and…er…maybe he's going to like me…and er…maybe I'm going to…er…to say the least, like him back?"

"You better not."

"Don't worry; I will," she said grinning.

"Okay, okay; sorry. I will never forget about you."

"Thank you. And for you, all I have to say is: Bye-bye, American boy!"

"Good. And it shall remain that way."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Aw…. Okay, I cried a bit while writing that part between Remus and Lorie…the part when he begged her not to go. I thought that it was very sweet, and I'd die happily if there's a guy as sweet as Remus for me…. And, erm, I'd like to add, that I've had some more ideas, for fluffy chapters like these, and that they are coming soon. Anyways, please review.


	21. The Wedding

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

To Courtney: I did not take any offense in that. Erm, in chapter 6, I _did_ state that the next few chapters (meaning the stuff with Lily hurting James) are inspired and based on that episode in "Boy Meets World." I love that series and didn't want to take credits for anything. So, maybe you should go back and read that. Or if you'd rather not, let me copy and paste it here: _Okay this chapter, and the next one, is inspired and based on one of the episode in the old T.V. hit series "Boy Meets World." That's my one of my favorite T.V. series. Anyway, the episode is called "Angela's Men," and if you've watched it, you'd know what I'm talking about. If not, then just read on and find out. _Anyways, thanks for your review. I really appreciate you caring, and like I said, I didn't take any offense.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Sorry for not updating for such a long time. I've been really busy with my computer upgrading and reading the fifth book. It's so darn good! But why does it have to end so sadly? Still, it's become my favorite (used to be Prisoner of Azkaban). Anyways, a lot of information is revealed in the fifth book (how James and Lily really got together), which makes it hard to continue my fic, since…well, I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't read the fifth book. So if you've read it, then you probably know what I mean. So erm…I mean, this _is_ a fan fiction, meaning us fans get to make stuff up for the fiction, right? So…er…I'll just have to continue my fic the way I'd planned it, okay? And then, I'll probably write a fan fiction that goes with the info from the book, okay?

Well, it's the chapter you've all been waiting for--the wedding! I hope it's okay (meaning sweet and fluffy and accurate to a real wedding).

Chapter 21

The next day, the Marauders--minus Peter--finished Aurors' Training School (a/n: I found out in the fifth book that it really takes more than half a year to train [I won't say how long, because it'll spoil it], but oh well). And today is the day of the wedding.

Lily woke up early from a night of nearly no sleep. She looked around her room. Nothing was left. Only her bed, a bag in the corner, and a small table, on which lays some of Lily's necessary stuff. Everything else had been moved to James and Lily's new home already. Lily got up and went to her window, though she dare not drew back the curtains. Their wedding will be held outdoors, and Lily had been praying for a nice, sunny day. Hands shaking, she pulled back the curtains, and fortunately for her, Lily found a beautiful day. Though the sun is not quite up yet, Lily could tell that today was going to be fine. She went to wake up Bella, and they went to Lorie's room, where most of the stuff had been packed away, and woke Lorie up. The three quickly took care of putting on makeup and fixing their hair. After getting dressed, Lorie and Bella helped Lily into her wedding dress.

"Are there anything else left to do?" Lily asked nervously.

"Where are the bouquets?" Bella asked.

"There're over at James's," Lily answered. Then she added panic-stricken, "Did we forget anything?"

"I don't think so," Bella said. 

"Oh!" Lorie cried suddenly. "Listen Lily, I don't know if it's a bit late, but have you got something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?"

"Yeah…yeah, I do," Lily said. "My necklace is old, my dress is new, I borrowed Bella's earrings, and well, as for the last part…a bit of my underwear is blue."

Lorie laughed. "Well, that's a relief. So I guess there's nothing else to do. Let's head over to James."

"Wait," Lily said. "I need to get my bag." She hurried off to her room.

"Bag?" Lorie asked. "What bag?"

"Well, after the wedding, they're going straight to their honeymoon, right?" Bella said.

"Oh yeah…and after that, they're moving right into their house right?"

"Yes," Lily said.

"How long are you going?" 

"Three days."

"Ooh…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James was standing in front of a full-length mirror in his room, straightening out his tuxedo. He sighed as Sirius entered.

"How do I look?" he asked nervously.

"As good as you can get, buddy," Sirius said, ruffling James' hair.

"Hey, hey, hey!" James cried, throwing Sirius' hand off. "Took me two hours to get it that way!"

"A waste of two hours; there isn't a single difference."

"Yes there is! That lock was actually laying flat!"

"_Flat_-out messy."

"Be quiet."

Just then, Remus came in. 

"Hey, the girls just got here," he said.

"Oh good," James said. He headed for the door, but Sirius held him back.

"Where're you going?"

"To see Lily, of course!"

"Don't. The groom is not supposed to see the bride before the wedding. It's bad luck."

"Ah…that's just superstition, right Moony?"

"Well…" Remus began. "Better safe than sorry."

"You'll see her later, Prongs," Sirius said. "Don't worry."

"It's time!" Mr. Potter called. "All the guests are here and waiting."

James drew a deep breath and exhales slowly. Then, he left, followed by Remus and Sirius. They exited the house and went into the back yard, where they found packed with people. 

(a/n: Okay, I've been to weddings before but I don't really remember how it works, so excuse me if some things aren't right, okay?)

James walked up and stood by Dumbledore in front of the guests, Sirius and Remus at his side. The backyard quieted and everybody's heads turned toward the door that led from the house to the back yard. First came James' little cousin, Stephanie, as the flower girl. Then Lorie and Bella came next and joined Dumbledore's other side. James drew another deep breath, eyes settled on that door, waiting to see the next person to come out. 

And finally, Lily entered the backyard. Everybody stood up. Lily slowly walked down the grass isle between the chairs. She felt nervous, really nervous. More than anyone can ever imagine. She wished her parents were there…for her father to walk her down the isle. Lily felt tears in her eyes. Not only that she didn't enjoy everyone's eyes on her, but Lily was also afraid that something might go wrong. What if…what if halfway through the ceremony, James changes his mind? 

But at long last, Lily finished walking down that endless isle. She stopped in front of Dumbledore and James joined her side. He tried to give Lily a smile, but failed and had an odd look about his face instead. Luckily, Lily didn't see it. She wasn't paying attention to what was going on. A thousand thoughts were running through Lily's mind. Thoughts about her future…thoughts about James…thoughts about her parents…even thoughts about Petunia. Lily, of course, had sent Petunia and her husband invitations, but she was simply ignored. When Lily had stopped to listen, Dumbledore was about to wed them.

"Do you, James Potter, take Lily Evans to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?" he said.

James turned to Lily. He reached out and held her hand tightly in his. "I love you, Lily," he said, putting aside the fact that he did not answer Dumbledore's question. "And I always will." James turned back to Dumbledore. "I do."

Lily was so touched. She knew then that she needn't to worry anymore. She knew James meant every word he said. A tear of happiness spilled. A few other guests did too. Professor McGonagall…Professor Sprout…Carla…a few other people from Hogwarts all have tears in their eyes. Mrs. Potter was sitting next to her husband in front, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. Her boy…he's all grown up! He's…he's married now…to a wonderful girl…they really loved each other…their love for each other…it's so pure…young, yes, but surely everlasting…

Dumbledore continued. "Do you, Lily Evans, take James Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?"

Lily felt James' hand sweating around hers. She smiled inwardly, glad to know that he was worried about her answer too. She, like James, turned to face him, and said, "I love you, James. And even death won't part us." Lily turned back to Dumbledore. "I do."

James and Lily then exchanged rings.

"Then by the power invested in me," Dumbledore said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

James moved closer to Lily. He hesitated a bit. It's not like he had never kissed her before. It's just…in front of his parents? And all these other people too! But then he remembered that they were married and worried not. James leaned down and kissed Lily gently.

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A/N: Whew! I thought I'd never finished! I had to re-write this chapter over many times until I felt that it's the best I can do. I hope it's well edited. Okay, now I'm off to re-read the fifth Harry Potter book. Please review. Oh yeah, next chapter is the honeymoon! Hahaha…so erm…er…just review!

__


	22. First Night of the Honeymoon

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

I found this really sweet poem online and I thought that I might share it with you guys. Pity I didn't write it; I don't know who did.

"A kiss is just a kiss

'Til you find the one you love

A hug is just a hug

'Til it's with the one you're thinking of

A dream is just a dream

'Til you make it come true

Love is just a word

'Til it's proven to you"

I was about to have James recite this to Lily at their wedding, but thought against it in the end.

Chapter 22

The after party (a/n: is that what you call them? The party thingy that you have after someone's wedding?) was a blast. Everybody congratulated James and Lily, and told them that they made a wonderful couple. Lorie, being the professional photographer, took many pictures and promised that she will pass them out after it's had been developed. James had drunk a lot. He and Sirius kept drinking and drinking. By the time everybody else had gone home, the two were both giddy and tipsy. The Marauders and the girls said good-bye to the Potters and then went to James' and Lily's new home. James and Lily quickly changed into some muggle clothing for they are heading straight to Tahiti for their honeymoon. They were going to apparate to a safe point and then go to a muggle hotel.

"Don't worry," Bella said. "We'll take care of your home."

"Bye-bye, Jamesie!" said Sirius, who was very red in the face and could barely stand without Remus' support. "And I--_hic_--wanna hear all about _it_ when you--_hic_--come back!"

"Sirius!" Remus scolded in disgust. 

"James…" Lily said, ignoring them, "Do you think you can apparate?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you apparate?"

"Hmm…mm…"

"God…" said Lily with a pained expression. "Shouldn't've let you and Sirius drink that much…" She sighed. "C'mon, James."

And with a little help from Lily, the two were out of site.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James and Lily apparated into a wizard village in Tahiti and then walked to a muggle resort nearby. Lily led James into a hotel and walked up to a woman behind a desk (a/n: I forgot what those people are called. Sorry!). 

"Good evening," she said pleasantly. "How may I help you?"

"Hi," Lily replied. "We booked a room here the other day? It's under Potter."

"Ah…" The woman looked through a book. "Yes, yes, I see…room twelve…I'll have somebody take you there." She called a man to help Lily take the luggage up to the room.

"Thank you," Lily said, as she gave the man a tip and said good-bye. As he closed the door behind him, Lily turned to James and said, "Well…let's pack away the stuff first."

James was barely standing. Lily saw this and helped him over to the bed. 

"Here," Lily said. "You can rest. I'll put the stuff away."

When Lily was done, she stood in the middle of the room, observing it. Lily walked over to the window and drew it back, looking at the night sky. She sighed again. Lily looked at James, wondering whether he's really asleep; he wasn't snoring, so she couldn't tell. Lily wasn't sure of what to do now. She walked over to James and sat down on the bed. 

"James?" she said quietly. James said nothing. The silence was awkward.

"I'm going to take a shower," she said. "If you need me, James, just call, okay?" As Lily stood up to get some clothes, something stopped her. James was holding onto her wrist tightly, eyes still shut.

"James?"

He gave a tugged and pulled her down right beside him. Before Lily could get up again, he put an arm tightly around her.

"James?" Lily asked again, laughing.

He said nothing.

"C'mon James!" Lily said. "I know you can hear me. Stop it!" She struggled to get out, but he was holding on too tight. Lily gave up. "James! I want to take my shower!"

James finally spoke. "Come on, Lily. It's our--_hic_--honeymoon. We're married! I've--_hic_--been waiting forever for--_hic_--this night. Do you really want to--_hic_--spend it in the shower?"

Lily laughed. "Yes. Now, come _on_!"

James said nothing.

"James, get off! I want to take my shower!" She struggled some more. "Gosh James. You're so heavy!"

"That's--_hic_--muscles. And you can take your show--_hic_--er tomorrow. Lily, stay here--_hic_--with me, okay?"

"I want to shower now. It's been a long day." She sniffed him. "And you too! You stink James!"

James said nothing.

"Okay, I see I'm not going to get my shower. Can I at least change?"

"No."

"Why not??"

"Because if I get--_hic_--off then you will run."

"I will not!"

James said nothing.

"C'mon, James. You can trust me."

"All right." James removed his arm.

And he was right. Lily ran for the bathroom, but James was faster. He quickly grabbed her by the waist and start tickling her. Lily laughed.

"J-James! Hahaha…s-s-stop!"

"I knew I couldn't--_hic_--trust you."

"S-sorry! Now, just…haha…s-stop!"

James stopped tickling Lily, but was still holding on to her. He buried his face in the back of her neck.

"Okay, I see I can't get away," Lily said.

James spun her around and put his arms around her waist. "No, you can't," he said, "because I'll never let you--_hic_--get away." James kissed her lightly on the lips and lowered themselves back onto the bed.

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A/N: Okay…that was weird…I didn't know how to write this chapter, but…hey…I made it… Can I ask you guys a favor? Would you mind helping me out a bit?

A lot of my reviewers like my story and encourages it to be sweet and fluffy. But a reviewer told me very kindly that some of my stuff is a bit cheesy. I noticed it too. How do you really feel about my fic? I really want an honest answer so I can improve. Please choose one of the below:

A) It's really cheesy! Lay low on the romance and fluff.

B) It's sweet and fluffy--I like it! 

C) You're stories are okay, but it can be improved by ___________.

Another problem of mine is switching tenses. I'm sorry! I tried my best, I really do! It's just…well, grammar is really never my best (which is weird, since writing is). I promise, I'll try harder to improve on that. So..er…please review!


	23. My Love, My World

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

Thank you all for voting on the last chapters. I couldn't be more happy.

To TrinitYMalfoY527: Thank you for your opinion. Yeah, I think I need to slow down a bit too, but well…it's hard…

To Triana Alexandria Malfoy: Thank you. And, yes, I'm very glad. I was so engaged in the fifth book that I didn't put it down since I got it and my eyes were practically glued to it (okay, exaggerating a bit, but you get the idea). 

I've never been to Tahiti before, so I don't really know how it's like there, but I have done a report on it for class once, so I do know a bit about it. Correct me if I'm wrong, okay?

Chapter 23

James woke up very early the next day with a major headache. His head hurt so much. James reached over to the nightstand and put on his glasses. James felt a weight shift on his arm and looked down to see Lily lying there. *Lily?* James thought. *What is she doing here, in my bed??* But James looked around the room and noticed that it wasn't his. *Oh yeah…* he thought, smiling. He remembered. They're married. And they're on their honeymoon. It's all good. James looked down at Lily again and smiled once more. Last night was amazing. He continued to stare at Lily for a while, just looking at her peaceful sleeping figure. Suddenly, Lily shifted again and accidentally pushed the blanket down slightly. She shivered. James quickly tightened his arm around her and bent to retrieve the blanket. As he did so, James saw some dark marks around Lily's neck and shoulders. He lifted the blanket lightly and saw marks all over the rest of her body. *Uh oh* James thought. He quickly looked his own body and saw only a few barely visible marks on his skin, which is darker than Lily's. *Oh well* he thought. *Can't do anything about it now.* James tucked the blanket around Lily's shoulder. The he put both arms around her and continued to watch her sleep. Lily looked so beautiful, even asleep. Her red hair laid in a careless mess…her dimples, faintly showing…her eyes, though closed, James could imagine them…a stunningly beautiful shade of emerald, surrounded by long, dark lashes…. James couldn't resist it. He kissed her forehead gently and then fell asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lily woke up later, feeling quite tired. She tried to stand up, attempted to take the shower that she couldn't take last night. But something was holding her back. Lily looked at James, who had his arms protectively around her and smiled. She gently pried herself from James's grip, not wanting to wake him. She put on her bathrobe and started to pick up the clothes that laid messily on the floor. Lily folded them up, went to get some clean clothes, and then went into the bathroom. Lily gasped when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and her body… But Lily smiled, remembering the previous night. Then she stepped inside the shower and began to sing softly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James woke up again. He looked to his side and did not see Lily beside him. For a moment, James worried that Lily might've left. But then he heard soft singing coming from the bathroom and he knew that Lily is still here. Lily was singing their song. She had a beautiful voice. James wondered why he had never heard her sing before. He laid back in bed and waited for Lily to come out. About twenty minutes later, Lily came out of the bathroom wearing a turtleneck and jeans. She smiled brightly at James and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"'Morning," she said cheerfully.

"How come you've never told me you can sing so well?" James asked.

Lily blushed. "Did I wake you?"

"No, but you haven't answered my question."

"Oh. Well, you've never asked," Lily said, shrugging. Then she added in a pained voice, "We 

can't go to the beach today."

"Why not?"

"Well, I can't wear a bathing suit like this!"

"Oh yeah…Well, we can go around town. We'll visit the beach tomorrow."

"Yeah, I guess. Okay, well, shower and get dressed! We have a lot to do and you still smell!"

"First day of marriage and you're already nagging," James said, and mock-sighed.

Lily laughed. "Just go."

"Fine, fine."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Meanwhile, back at the girls' apartment, Lorie was getting ready to leave. She and Bella were packing up some last minute stuff, when Remus and Sirius apparated in.

"Let's go for a walk, Lorie," Remus said, taking her hand.

"Oh, but I have to leave in about an hour," Lorie said, checking her watch.

"It won't take long. Please?"

"Okay," Lorie said. "Bella, do you mind helping me with some stuff? I'll be back soon."

"Sure, no problem. Sirius can help."

"Thanks," Lorie said. Then she and Remus disappeared.

"Er…" Sirius said. "I don't know if it's a good idea for me to touch her…you know, girl stuff."

"Ah, don't worry. All those stuff's been packed already. She just need us to put away some of her files and photographs."

"Oh, okay…Wow. Lorie took some really great pictures."

"Yeah…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I really wish that you didn't have to go so soon," Remus said, as they are walking hand-in-hand down that park for the last time.

"Me too," Lorie said. "But, like I said, it's only for two years."

"Two very long years," he muttered.

"Yes…but we'll write everyday."

"Yeah…How about I visit you sometimes?"

"That'll be great. I mean, if you can find time off from work. I know it's a lot being an

Auror…and with that you-know-who around. He's been gaining power for quite awhile…and just…just promise me you'll be careful. I'll see you in two years, if I must, but just take care of yourself."

"Okay…but whatever Voldemort can do to me, being away from you is much worst."

Lorie smiled. She's so lucky to find such a sweet boyfriend. She looked at her watch and said, "Oh, I've got to go in about fifteen minutes. Let's head back, so I can say good-bye to Bella and Sirius."

"All right."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"'Bye Bella," Lorie said, giving her a hug. "Thank you for letting me stay here. Oh, and I'm sorry I don't have a chance to say bye to Lily and James. Will you do it for me?"

"It'll be my pleasure," Bella said. "'Bye, and good luck in America."

"Thanks. 'Bye Sirius," Lorie said, giving him a hug.

"Good-bye," he said. "Take care, now. And be back soon. I don't want Moony to be so miserable."

And last, Lorie turned to Remus. "'Bye," she whispered.

"'Bye," Remus said not looking at her.

"Aw, c'mon!" Sirius exclaimed. "You might not be able to see her for two years! Quit acting like you don't know each other and kiss her already!"

Bella laughed. "C'mon Sirius. Let's go. Give 'em some privacy, will ya?" So they left.

"Well…bye," Lorie whispered again.

"Oh, come here," Remus said, hugging Lorie tight.

"I'm going to miss you," she said, tears in her eyes.

"I'll miss you too… I love you." He kissed her.

"I love you too," Lorie said. And she apparated away.

Sirius and Bella came out.

"Remus?" Bella said.

"Yeah?"

"We found this envelope in Lorie's room. It was lying on the bed. It's addressed to you."

Remus took the envelope and opened it. Out fell a letter and some pictures.

Dear Remus,

I knew that I'd have a hard time saying goodbye to you. So I decided to write this. Well…oh gosh…this is hard too…I love you, Remus. I guess that pretty much says it all. You might think it's hard for you to see me leave, but I assure you, it's ten times worse for me. Do you see the pictures? Please pass them out to the names addressed in the back. They're the pictures I took at the wedding. I've just developed them and haven't time to pass it out. Well…write soon.

Much love and always yours,

Lorie

Remus looked at the pictures and decided to hand them out tomorrow. Then he looked through the pictures and stopped at one of them. It was a picture of him and Lorie. He turned it over and read:

You and I together…It's beautiful.

For Remus, my love, my world.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Can someone please explain clearly to me what a Beta-Reader is? I think I need one, and I got pretty good idea of what it is, but I'm not entirely sure. Thank you and please review. 


	24. James Junior?

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

To TrinitYMalfoY527: Thank you for explaining what a Beta-Reader is. About the Lily in the turtleneck thing. I've learned from my report that Tahiti has many different whether, so it is actually not too warm. And as for the mystery, I'm thinking about it. I was sort of thinking about making some things more mysterious, but I'm not really sure how. And I'm having Lorie leave a bit soon, because I have some other things planned. 

To Hermione101888: Thank you for explaining what a Beta-Reader is and thank you for your offer. I know that you are busy with your own fic and beta-reading others as well, so I'll try and find another beta-reader. If, and only if, I am desperate for one, I will come to you. I don't want to badger you, though. Thanks once again.

To follow-the-lemming: I don't know whether you'd be reading this, but I would like to reply to your review. First of all, thank you for reviewing, it means a lot. And second, I don't know if you've notice, but I began this fic before I've read the fifth book. And even before, I thought that Arabella might've been in disguise to watch over Harry, so I thought that she might've gone to school with Lily, because of what Dumbledore said to Sirius at the end of the Goblet of Fire. You know, the whole "lay low at Lupin's and Arabella's and Mundungus's" thing? Yes, so I couldn't have possibly known that Bella's decades older than Lily.

To gaba: Thank you for that, but I've also read the Order of the Phoenix and know what you meant. However, you too, might not have notice that I began the fic BEFORE the fifth book came out.

Chapter 24

"James, come on!" Lily called.

"Lily, c-can we just rest for a min-minute?" James panted, sitting down on a bench.

Lily went over and dragged him up. "I thought you Quidditch players were suppose to be in shape!"

"I am! It's just we've been racing from museums to museums. Even if I'm not tired, I'd be bored to death!"

"Well we can't go to the beach and you won't go shopping! What else is there to do?"

"Okay, first of all, it's not my fault we can't go to the beach--"

"Yes, it is!"

"Okay, okay, fine. Maybe I am to blame for that. But it's definitely not my problem that we can't go shopping--"

"Yes, it is! You said, and I quote, 'Lily, if we go shopping, I'm bound to be holding your purse and waiting hours for you.'"

"It's the men code, Lily! We shall never, and I repeat: never, go shopping with women! They make you wait for them, ask tricky questions like 'Do this make me look fat?' and they make us hold their purse! I can't break the code!"

"James, that's ridiculous! Not every woman are like that I'm pretty sure you just made that stupid code up. And I don't even have a purse!"

"That's not the point, Lily. The point is we need to find something else to do. Anything but museums."

"Well…" Lily sat down on that bench and took out a pamphlet she had gotten from the hotel lobby. "We can go jet-skiing…oh yeah…never mind…bowling?"

"What's that?"

"Muggle sport. You roll a heavy black ball down an alley and try to hit the pins."

"Sounds boring." (a/n: I actually love bowling.)

"Er…golfing?"

"Another muggle sport?"

"Yes."

"Nah."

"Er…ooh! Horseback-riding!"

"Yeah! Let's go."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, James and Lily were at the beach. They played in the water together like two little kids. James splashed water at Lily and she dunked his head under the water. The kids around them were watching with amused looks on their faces. It's not everyday that you see two adults acting like that. But James and Lily ignored them and were both lost in their own world. After lunch, James and Lily tried jet skiing and had a great time trying it.

And on the last day of their honeymoon, James and Lily were laying in a hammock, set up between two trees on the beach. They didn't want to do anything else (not that there were much left to do). They just wanted to spend their last day of the honeymoon like that. James was gently stroking Lily's hair, and Lily was watching two little kids building a sand castle nearby.

"James?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"If we have a baby, what will you name him or her?"

"Baby? You're not--not pregnant already, are you?"

"No, of course not. No…I'm just wondering."

"Oh. Well, it depends. Is it a girl or a boy?"

"What if it was a girl?"

"A girl…hmm…Lisa?"

"No. I don't like that. What about Elizabeth?"

"Elizabeth Potter? Nah."

"How about Vanessa?"

"Vanessa Potter…That's nice."

"What if it's a boy?" 

"James Junior." 

"No way. One James is enough."

"But this is James _Junior._ Big difference."

"Still, no way. What about Harold?"

"Harold?? Definitely not. I'm telling you, James Junior!"

"Will you cut that out? If not Harold, then how about…Harry?"

"Harry Potter…Well, it's better than Harold Potter. Still, I'd go with--"

"How about Harry James Potter?"

"How about Harry James Junior Potter?" 

"Do you hear yourself when you speak, James? Harry James _Junior_ Potter?"

"Okay, okay, fine. Harry James Potter, it is."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: I'm sorry if anybody feels offended if they have the names above. I didn't mean anything. I just chose random names. Anyways, I'm looking for a Beta-Reader. I need one that can edit my chapters well and can email them back to me quickly. Thanks. Oh, and please review.


	25. Flying Motorcycle?

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

To TrinitYMalfoY527: Thanks for your offer, but I don't want to bother you. I know that you're busy and I might need a Beta-Reader after the summer. So thanks, but it's okay.

****

To soul donkey: Thanks for your offer. I'd love for you to be my Beta-Reader, thank you very much. I'm going to send the next chapter to you. Can you get it back to me quickly and well-edited? I'd appreciate it. Thank you very much.

Chapter 25

Lily and James were back. They moved into their new home, while Remus and Sirius moved into the apartments with Bella. Remus laid down on the bed, which still have Lorie's sweet scent. He missed her so much. Remus decided to write to her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dear Lorie,

__

How's it going over there? Yesterday you said you've just moved into the apartment that Witch Weekly provides. So…how is it? Do you have a roommate? It is a 'she', right? Right. Anyways…I miss you a lot. You haven't a clue how much. Er…well, James and Lily are back… And I've moved into your old room already. Makes me miss you even more. Well…write soon.

__

Love,

__

Remus

Lorie smiled and put away the letter.

"Another letter from your boyfriend?" asked Debbie, Lorie's new roommate.

"Yeah."

"He is so sweet, writing to you everyday. My boyfriend haven't write since I got here, the jerk."

Lorie laughed. "Don't worry. I'm sure he's just busy."

"He better have a good excuse. Or else." Debbie made a violent gesture. Lorie laughed again. Debbie is cool. She reminds Lorie of Bella. 

"I've got to go write back now," Lorie said.

"Yeah, you do that," Debbie sighed. "Just leave me here to my pathetic self, waiting for my jerk-of-a-boyfriend to write."

Lorie smiled. She knew Debbie didn't mean it.

__

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dear Remus,

__

It's going fine over here. My roommate is really nice. And don't worry, she is a girl… although there is an incredibly hot guy living next door--I'm just kidding. _Actually, I don't know my neighbors yet. We're the only ones on this level so far. Who knows? Some really nice guys might move in tomorrow. Don't worry, though. I love you, and no matter how cute that guy could be, I still love you. Well…I've got to go now, but write back soon. I can't wait to here from you._

Always yours,

Lorie

P.S. Please say hi to James and Lily for me.

Remus put down the letter. He doesn't know if this letter thing is working out. He's just missing her more and more. And…and although he doesn't want to admit it, he's worried. Even after all the assurance Lorie gave him, Remus is afraid that she might meet someone else. He finally found a girl who's beautiful inside-out, who he can talk to, and most importantly, who accepts him for what he is…who's perfect for him. And Remus does not want to lose her. Remus sighed. Maybe he should just go over there and visit Lorie. But he's been really busy with the Auror business and with that Voldemort guy running about.

Remus sighed again. He can't go yet.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Hey everybody!!" Sirius called from outside the apartment. "Come out here!!"

Remus and Bella raced out.

"What's wrong?" they asked.

James and Lily came out from their home, which was just a couple of doors down.

"Sirius, what's going on?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, we can hear you from our house," James said.

"Look what I bought!" Sirius moved aside so that a motorcycle was clearly visible.

"You bought a motorcycle??" Bella exclaimed.

"Not just any motorcycle," Sirius said proudly. "It's a _flying _motorcycle!"

"A flying motorcycle?" Lily questioned.

"Yep."

"Sirius, are you forgetting that we are living in a muggle neighborhood?" Remus asked.

"No, I didn't forget," Sirius said. "See, this look like any old motorcycle. So muggles will just think that it's a regular one."

"Why did you buy it?" James asked.

"Because it's cool," Sirius said, beaming. "It's a great deal too. Old Mundungus sold it to me!"

"Mundungus Fletcher?" Bella asked. "Haven't seen him in ages!"

"How is he?" Lily asked.

"He's fine," Sirius said. "Turned out to be sort of a crook, but he's all right."

"A crook, eh?" said James. "Sure he didn't rip you off on that thing?"

"Nah."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short and boring. I know that I've had betters. I just have to go right now and don't have time to right more. Sorry and please review. 

__


	26. Wish You Were Here

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. You guys rocks!!

To MegHarts: Thank you! I am so happy you're back!

To AllieE: Yes, I know that Arabella Figg is an old woman in the books, though I've always thought that she was in disguise to watch over Harry. At the end of the fourth book, Dumbledore mention her as part of "the old crowd," so that's why I thought that she had once hung out with Lily and them. It's not until the fifth book that I realize how every wrong I am. However, I must continue on anyways. Well, thanks for reading, and I'm glad to know you've enjoyed it. 

To soul donkey: Thank you for Beta-ing.

Sorry for the wait. I had a hard time writing this chapter, because I wanted to make it really descriptive (hope I succeeded). Then I had to get it beta-read. Well…here you go: 

Chapter 26

One day, everybody was hanging out at the apartments. The only person missing was Sirius.

"Where's Sirius?" James asked from his place on the couch with Lily.

"I'm not sure," Bella replied from her armchair. "I think he said he was going over to his parents' house."

"Oh."

"So…have you talked to Lorie lately, Remus?" Lily asked Remus who was sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch.

"Yeah," Remus said. "We've been owling everyday."

"Cool."

"How is she?" Bella asked.

"She's fine," Remus said. Then he sighed. "I just miss her so much."

"Aw…" Lily bent down and gave him a siblingly hug.

"Why don't you visit her?" piped up Peter, who was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs.

"You think I haven't thought about that? But I can't. It's been really busy at work with that Voldemort--" Peter flinched, "--guy around."

"I've heard he and his Death Eaters been attacking a lot of people," said James.

Just then, Sirius burst in. A bottle of Firewiskey was in his hand and he was walking unsteadily. He was obviously drunk.

"Sirius!" Bella cried, jumping up and walking over to her boyfriend. "You've been drinking! What's wrong?"

"Guess--_hic_--what?" he said. "I've just--_hic_--found out. My--_hic_--parents are--_hic_--dead. Killed by--_hic_--Voldemort."

"Oh my…" Bella said. Tears formed in her eyes. "I am so sorry, Sirius." She leaned in to hug him, but Sirius pulled away.

"Yeah, well--_hic_--sorry doesn't bring them--_hic_--back, now does--_hic_--it?" he said coldly.

"Sirius, I know you're upset, but don't take it out on Bella," Remus said gently.

"You--_hic_--guys just don't---_hic_--u-under--_hic_--stand."

"I-I understand," Lily said softly. "My parents were murdered by him too."

"No you--_hic_--don't. You're parents were muggles."

"So? I don't see the difference. It still hurts when they died. I understand, Sirius. I do."

"No you--_hic_--don't. You don't--_hic_--understand shit."

"Sirius, don't say that to Lily," James said sharply.

"Yeah, side--_hic_--with her now," Sirius said. "I know you--_hic_--would."

"He's not siding with anybody," Remus said.

"Yeah? Well--_hic_--whatev--_hic_--ver." Sirius walked out of the apartments.

"Sirius!" Bella called before running after him.

Tears spilled from Lily's eyes, and she too, ran out of the apartments.

"Lily!" James yelled. He looked around to Remus. "See you later," he said, and then ran after Lily.

Remus looked around the room and his eyes landed on Peter, who hadn't said a thing since Sirius came in. Peter looked at Remus and disapparated away without saying anything. Remus sighed. "I wish you were here, Lorie," he said quietly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James caught up to Lily standing outside their house.

"Lily?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm okay, James," she replied, wiping the tears away. They entered their home and sat on the 

couch.

"I-I just miss my parents, that's all," Lily said.

"It's okay," James hugged Lily. "You know Sirius didn't mean what he said, right?"

"Yeah, I know," said Lily. "I know how he feels. I hope Bella can cheer him up."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile…

"Sirius! Sirius!" Bella cried, running to catch up with him. Sirius ignored her.

"Sirius, listen," Bella tried again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for the death of your parents. Them inside….they don't understand. But I do, Sirius. I know you better. Please, Sirius. Talk to me!"

But Sirius stilled ignored her and continue walking on. Bella stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

"Move," Sirius said coldly.

"No," tears that were brimming in Bella's eyes spilled. "Please, Sirius. Please. Let's go home."

"Move," Sirius repeated, just as icily.

"Please, Sirius, please. You're scaring me."

Sirius pushed Bella against a nearby building's wall, and whispered in a deadly voice, "When I--_hic_--say move, I--_hic_--mean _move_." Then he walked on, leaving a crying Bella.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Whoa…a different twist. Haha…Even I didn't expected this. Okay, maybe I had planned this, but I didn't really expect it to turn out exactly like this. Anyways, please review.


	27. You Can Always Talk To Me

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. You guys rocks!!

****

I highly suggest my readers read this note: Lately, I've mostly been focusing on James and Lily or Remus and Lorie. So, I've decided to dedicate a few chapters to Sirius and Bella. And on that subject…well, I'm putting some stuff that I doubt any of you had expected in here (i.e. Sirius's issues). And, yes, I sort of intended for him to be slightly abusive in the previous chapter. He is a bit in this chapter too, but hey you, guys can't hate him for it. He's going through a lot. So there's no need to freak out, because…well, I don't want to spoil it. I promise, it's good. Bella will be going trough some stuff too, and I swear, in the next few chapters, you will sympathize her a lot. I've already written part of the next chapter, and it's a major pain for me to write it. It's going to be quite emotional and I actually cried writing some part of it, putting myself in Bella's position. The hard part to write was for me to be really descriptive in the part that…well, needed me to be descriptive. Okay, I'm not going to say anymore. 

Chapter 27

Over the next few days, Sirius had become very distant towards the other. He was rarely in the apartments. And even when he was, Sirius would appear drunk. Bella was worried. Very worried. She had tried to talk to Sirius a lot, but every time, he would just ignore her or insult her. Bella didn't take it personally though. She knew that he was still upset and just needed time to recover. She doesn't even mind the insults. It was much better than him ignoring her, because he at least talked to her when insulting.

One night, after being called a "hard--_hic_--headed freak--_hic_--with no life" by Sirius, when she told him to eat some dinner, Bella went to talk to Lily.

"Where's James?" Bella asked, sitting on the couch.

"Oh, work's running late," Lily answered, setting some tea in front of them. "Since Sirius has been missing quite a lot of work, James and Remus had been covering for him. So…what did you want to talk about?"

"Lily…it's Sirius…I'm just really worried about him," she said, tears threatening to fall. A lot of her tears had been wasted lately.

"Aw…come here," Lily said, pulling her friend into a hug.

"I just don't know how to help him….He won't talk to me anymore and…and it really…it really hurts seeing him like this…" Tears now stained Bella's face and Lily's robe.

"Why don't you just sit him down and don't let him get away unless you've talked about it? Use magic if you must."

"Sirius is the type of person who needs his freedom, Lily. Forcing him into doing something that he's against isn't the answer. Plus…I don't dare to, anyways."

"You don't dare to?" asked Lily, alarmed, pulling away from Bella. "He hasn't…he hasn't _hit_ you, has he?"

"O-only once," Bella mumbled. She hurriedly added, "But I know he didn't mean it. He was very drunk at the time."

"Bella!" Lily scolded, obviously against the idea. Then she softened up. "You know, back at Hogwarts…you would _never_ let some guy treat you like this!"

"It's different with Sirius, Lily. I don't--I don't know. He's change me, Lily. I mean, we're not two little girls in school, anymore. You…you're married. And I…well…all I know is that I truly love Sirius. And I would do _anything_ for him to be happy."

Lily sighed. She absolutely hated seeing her best friend like this. "You should try that muggle bar down the street," Lily said finally. "I think I've seen Sirius disappearing in there once or twice."

"But what do I say, Lily?"

"Just tell him how you feel. Tell him that you're worried about him. He loves you. He just needs some reminder."

"Thanks Lily." Bella wiped away her tears.

"You know, Bella, even though I'm married now, I'm still your best friend. And you can always talk to me."

"I know. And you can always talk to me too." They shared a hug before Bella left.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bella entered a dark and quite smokey place. Loud music was playing and people were dancing all over the place. It was hard to find Sirius, but Bella finally did. She spotted him in the corner, drinking and…and making out with another girl. Bella made her way through the crowd.

"Sirius?" she said weakly. Sirius broke apart from that girl and looked up.

"Oh, it's--_hic_--you," he said, taking a sip of his alcohol. "What do you--_hic_--want?"

"Sirius…I-I want you to come home with me. It's…it's late and you've been drinking a lot. L-let's go home."

"Sirius?" spoke up the girl who he had been kissing. "Who is this girl?"

"Oh--_hic_--she's just--_hic_--nobody," he said. Sirius turned to Bella. "Go away. This--_hic_--isn't your place."

"It isn't yours either," Bella said. "Your place is at home, with your friends…and…and me."

"Go away," Sirius said, before ignoring her and starting to kiss that girl again.

"Sirius--" But people started dancing again, and cut through Bella and Sirius. Bella gave up and just went out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Over the next few nights, Sirius is always gone. So Bella, knowing that she can't convince him, just stayed at home. She would sit on the couch every night, waiting for Sirius to come home. But Sirius always comes home very, very late, so sometimes Bella could be found asleep on the couch. All of their friends were worried about the both of them, but knew that this is a challenge that Sirius and Bella would have to solve on their own.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Please review.


	28. Dear God

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

To soul donkey: Thanks for beta-ing.

Whoa. I can't believe it. So many people hated Sirius in the previous chapter. Did I make him out to be that bad? Well, actually, that was the whole point. So I guess it's good that so many people hated him, because that means that I was descriptive enough, right? Nah. I'm going to be better in this chapter, I hope.

Chapter 28

One night a few weeks later, Sirius actually came home quite early. In fact, it was so early that Remus wasn't even home from work and Bella hadn't even started waiting yet. But again, Sirius appeared to be drunk.

"Remus?" Bella asked, coming out of the kitchen. Her face lit up when she saw Sirius instead. "Sirius!" she said. "Are you okay?"

Sirius did not reply. He just stayed where he was and swayed slightly.

"Here," Bella said, taking his arm and trying to steer him to his room. She laid him on the bed and took off his shoes. Then Bella tucked the blanket around him 

"Sirius?" she asked softly. "Sirius? I'm going to get you a wet towel, okay?" She left. Minutes later, Bella returned with a towel draped on her shoulder and a glass bowl, filled with water, in her hands. She placed the bowl on a stool and dipped the towel in it. Bella squeezed the towel so that the extra water leaked out and went over to Sirius's bed. She sat down and placed it on Sirius's forehead. She tried to move it around a bit, but Sirius kept pushing her hand away.

"Go away," he mumbled.

"No." Bella continued trying to take care of him, and he continued to push her away. Finally, he pushed a bit too hard. Bella fell over, knocking over the glass bowl. The glass shattered and water spilled everywhere--including on Bella. Tears formed in her eyes again.

"Oh gosh," Bella muttered. "Sirius? Wait, okay? I'm going to change. Don't move. You might step on the glass." Bella stood up and left the room, dripping wet from head to toe.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sirius regained full conscious about five minutes later. Though he had a slight headache, he was not drunk at all. And Sirius remembered the recent events too. *I guess Bella's wet towel really helped* he thought. Sirius looked around his room and noticed the shattered glasses. Weird. Shouldn't Bella be back now? He got up, carefully avoiding the broken glasses, and walked down the hall. As he walked pass Bella's room, Sirius heard quiet sobbing. He looked through the ajar door and saw Bella sobbing into her pillow. For the first time in a few weeks, Sirius had some emotion other than anger. He couldn't really explain how he feels, but it pained Sirius seeing Bella like this. He wanted to push the door open and give Bella a comforting hug. But he didn't. He remained where he was and watched her. Just then, Bella lifted her face from the pillow and walked over to her window. Sirius noticed that she had changed into some new clothes already. He also noticed her face. Bella…her beautiful face was now…Sirius couldn't describe it. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy. Tears were still brimming in the corner. Her beautiful brown hair was damped and messy. Sirius watched as Bella drew back the curtains of the window and looked out at the night sky. To Sirius's surprise, Bella knelt down and put her hands together.

"Dear God," she whispered, barely audible, but Sirius could hear her. "I…I need your help. I want to know how to help my boyfriend, Sirius. H-his parents died not long ago, and…and since then, he has became really…really distant. I-I don't know if you have ever experienced this, but…but it really hurts to see the one you love like this." Tears were falling from her eyes like waterfalls. "It…it pains me to not be able to do anything to make him feel better. I-I love him _so_ much, God. I've never felt this way about anyone else. My friend, Lily, and I talked about this the other day; you might've heard us. She--she said I would never let any guy treat me like this. But I…I feel that Sirius is worth it. Some of the happiest moments in my life are those that I share with him. I feel…I feel happy around him. I feel safe in his arms. I really, really love him, God. And these past few weeks…seeing Sirius like this…it's like a part of me has died. I-I don't know. That's just how I feel. And…and I'm willing to give up my happiness for his, God. I really am. So please…"

Sirius couldn't take it anymore. He walked back to his room and laid down on his bed. Thoughts were racing through his head. Had he been that terrible these past few weeks? He remembered the time at the bar…and the time when she tried to talk him into eating some dinner. Did he…did hit her then? Sirius felt so guilty. There's this wonderful girl who truly loves him. Who's willing to trade her own happiness for his. And what did he do? He acted like a complete jerk to her. Damn. Sirius wanted to shoot himself for being so stupid. He didn't deserve Bella. But just then, Bella walked in. Her eyes were redder and puffier than before. She stooped down and started to clean the glass.

"Why are you cleaning that?" Sirius asked quietly.

Bella, surprised that Sirius had actually spoken to her (undrunk), looked up at him and said, 

"Because I don't want you to get hurt."

"Why do you care? Shouldn't you hate me for what I did?"

Bella looked up at him again. Though this time, her expression was slightly hurt, instead of surprised. "How could you say that? I can never hate you Sirius. I may be annoyed at you sometimes, but I can _never_ hate you."

"Why not?"

"Because I love you."

"Even after all I did?"

"Well, what did you do?"

"How can you not notice?? The way I've been treating you!"

"It's fine, Sirius. I know you've been upset."

Sirius stayed quiet this time. He needed to think. He couldn't believe that after all that, Bella still…still loved him.

"Ow!" Bella cried suddenly, breaking Sirius from his thoughts. She had accidentally cut herself on a piece of the glass. Tears spilled again.

"Come here," Sirius said. He took out his wand from the bedside and sat up. Bella sat down on the bed next to him. Sirius took her hand and performed a quick spell. The wound healed right away, but Sirius still didn't let go of her hand. He bent and kissed it lightly. He looked up again to find Bella looking at him curiously.

"Are you okay, Sirius?" she asked.

"No. I'm sorry, Bella. I'm sorry for these past weeks. I'm sorry for acting like a git to you. I'm sorry for what you had to go through. I'm sorry for everything."

Bella smiled. "You were much worse than just a git, Sirius."

"You're right. I was much worse. I was a bastard."

Bella smiled again. "So…are you sure you're okay?"

"Fine, if you say you'll forgive me."

"I'll say it if I get a little something."

Sirius kissed her. All of Bella worries and pains disappeared.

"I forgive you, Sirius."

"Good." Sirius hugged her tightly.

"Okay," Bella said, standing up, but Sirius was holding on to her wrist. 

"Where're you going?" he asked. "You're not still mad, are you?"

"I was never mad. But I need to clean up the rest of the glass. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

"Have you lost it, Bella? You're a witch for a reason."

"Oh yeah." Bella blushed. "Forgot. That's the effects of living in a muggle neighborhood."

Sirius smiled and, with a flick of his wand, cleaned up the glasses. Then he pulled Bella back on to the bed and started to kiss her again. Bella smiled when they broke apart. 

"I'm so glad the old you is back," she said.

"Me too. And this old me would like to make it up to you." He looked deeply into her eyes and asked her a silent question. Bella's eyes widened as she realized what it was, but nodded and gave him a wordless reply.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: This is a bit different from what I planned. While forming this idea and planning what to write, I cried a bit. I thought that it was so…I don't know. Emotional, I guess. But now…it seems really hard to put what I had in mind into words. I even forgot some stuff that I planned. I should've written it down. Anyways, I did this chapter the best I could, so for my effort, please review. 


	29. New Neighbor

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

To Angelisa Snape: Lol. I cracked up reading your review for some reason. It was funny to me. Lol. Yeah, well, this chapter will tell you, I hope. Lol. I'll fill you in if you still don't get it. 

To RetroHotty44765: Erm, hopefully this chapter can answer your question. I was a bit uncomfortable with the subject, so I didn't really explain the question. But I sort of thought that it was kind of obvious. Oh well. 

To soul donkey: Thanks for beta-ing.

I had a hard time writing this chapter. Writer's block. Plus, I had to decide whether to continue chapter 28 with more details (if you know what I mean *winks*). I decide against it in the end. I mean, this is PG-13. Didn't want to get too explicit. Bah…

Chapter 29

"I love you, Bella," whispered Sirius.

It was the morning after. Sirius and Bella were still in bed. Neither of them wanted to move. They felt very comfortable in their position. Bella had her back toward Sirius, who had one of his arms around her waist. He was holding her hands with that one, while his other hand was gently running through her hair. Sirius tightened his arm around Bella as he said those words, and started kissing the back of Bella's neck and shoulders. Anyway, Sirius had sort of expected Bella to say she loved him back right away. But she didn't.

"Bella?" he asked quietly, lifting his lips from her skin. He turned her around to look at her.

"Hmm?" Bella said.

"Is something the matter? Are you sure you're not still mad at me? Because if what happened last night is against your will, then I--"

"Sirius, last night was amazing," said Bella softly. "And I can't think of anybody else I would rather share the experience with but you."

"Then what's the matter?"

"Nothing. Nothing's the matter."

"Come on, Bella. You can tell me."

"Well, I just…I just can't believe that…that we've done it when I look so horrible!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…my eyes are puffy and red and my--"

"You're beautiful," said Sirius, kissing Bella lightly on the lips.

"You're lying. Please don't ever lie to me, Sirius."

"I'm not. You're very beautiful. And the most perfect woman can't even compare to you."

"I'm not perfect."

"To me you are."

Bella looked deeply into his eyes. He looked really sincere. "Do you mean it?" she whispered.

"Every word."

She kissed him. "You're so sweet. I'm so lucky to have you as my boyfriend."

"Not as much as I am to have you as my girlfriend. I mean, you're the only person I know who's willing to give up her happiness for me."

Bella blushed. "Y-you heard me talking to God?"

"Yes. And it had me thinking. I don't deserve you. You're too wonderful."

"So are you. You know, nothing makes me happier than spending time with you."

"But I still feel guilty about how I've been. I want to make it up to you."

"You already did."

"That wasn't enough. Besides, I had as much pleasure out of it as you did, so it didn't really count. I want to do something special for you."

"Just be here for me."

"That's not enough."

"It is for me."

Sirius looked at Bella, amazed. Is that really all she wants? No. Truth is, Bella sort of wanted a life like Lily's. She wanted to get married and settle down. And she wanted to do it with Sirius. But Bella knew that that's not what Sirius would want. She knew that he wasn't the type. He needed his freedom. If Bella had told him that she wanted to get married, she knew Sirius would say yes. But only because he wanted to make it up to her. He wouldn't be happy. Maybe for the first few months. But soon he would yearn for his freedom. She knew Sirius loved her. That was enough. She loved Sirius too. And even though she'd probably never marry him, having him there was satisfying enough.

"Are you sure, Bella?"

"It's all that I want."

"I know you're not being completely honest, Bella. But if you won't tell me, then I'll just have to do my best."

Bella smiled. "You do that." She kissed him and then got up, pulling on her robes. "It's late. Let's get moving. You need to go back to work."

"Today's my day off of work."

"Mine's too. Well, let's go grocery shopping then. I want to invite James and Lily to dinner tonight."

"All right."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Lorie!" Debbie yelled. "Are you still writing to your boyfriend?"

"Yes," Lorie said. "Now leave me alone."

"Oh sure," Debbie said sarcastically. "Getting all attitude-y now, aren't you? Well, fine. Be that way, Miss I'm-All-Stuck-Up-'Cause-I've-Got-A-Sweet-Boyfriend-Who-Writes-Everyday-So-I-Can-Ignore-My-Friend-Whose-Boyfriend-Never-Writes-Because-He's-A-Stupid-Inconsiderate-Jerk." She said all of this very fast.

Lorie laughed. "Why don't _you_ write to him?"

"Because! Why should I? If he doesn't care, then neither will I!"

"Then why do you keep talking about him?"

Debbie didn't answer her. Instead she walked out of the room, singing, "Why should I care? If you don't care, then I don't care, we're not going anywhere…" (a/n: yes, I know that Avril Lavigne's songs didn't exist back then, but oh well).

Lorie laughed again. Then she turned back to her letter. In the previous few letters, Remus had told her all about Sirius and Bella's problem. And Lorie was really worried about them.

Dear Remus,

How are Bella and Sirius? Have they sorted out their problems yet? I hope they are okay. From the sound of it, Sirius is really acting like a jerk. I wish I could be there for Bella. Well, at least Lily's there. Please give Sirius a whack in the head for me. And also, please yell at him. Or you could leave it to Lily. Oh well. Please write back as soon as possible.

Miss You Much,

Lorie

"Lorie!!" Debbie called. "Come here!!"

"What now?" Lorie asked, handing the letter to her owl and setting it out the window.

Debbie ran in. "We have neighbors! Or maybe I should say _neighbor_. Somebody just moved in next door."

"Cool. Let's go say hi."

Lorie and Debbie left their apartment and knocked on the door of the one next to theirs. A guy, probably a few years older than Lorie, opened the door. "Yeah?" he asked. This guy was tall and had a nicely built body, with dark brown hair and turquoise-ish eyes. 

"Er…hi," Lorie said. "We're your new neighbors."

"We've just come to say hi," Debbie added.

"Oh hi," the guy said. "I'm Kyle Hunter."

"Debbie Lawrence," Debbie shook his hand. Then Kyle turned to Lorie. "And who might you be?"

"Valorie Kunners," Lorie said, smiling and shaking his hand too. "But everybody calls me Lorie. So…what do you do for Witch Weekly?"

"Photographer, you guys?"

"Same," Lorie said.

"I work on the polls and quizzes," said Debbie. "Ah. Speaking of that, I need to finish my "How Well Do You Know Your Boyfriend?" quiz. Ciao." She left.

"Well, see you 'round," Lorie said brightly to Kyle.

"Yeah, see ya," he replied, going back into his apartment.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: This chapter isn't the best, but it is needed. *Sighs* I love new characters. Adds sort of a mystery in the plot. Makes you wonder,"Hmm…what's his/her point in this story?" Well, to find out, please review! 


	30. It's Dull Without You

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

To Aarien Star: Lol. Your review was quite flattering. Yes, I did indeed use a bit of your ideas. A tad more of it is in this chapter. Thank you. I'm open to suggestions, so if you have anymore, just tell me, and I will surely consider it. 

To mammothboardergal: I would love to beta-read for you. But I have to warn you, my spelling is pretty good, but my grammar is only fair. If you don't mind, then it'll be my pleasure to beta-read for you. My email address is **weirdmachine5000@yahoo.com**.

I can sense that some people are still getting over that Sirius cheating on Bella thing. Don't worry. Soon, you will love Sirius very much. I mean, even more than usual. Because I've got loads of things plan.

Chapter 30

"Bella, are you sure you know how to do this?" Sirius said.

Sirius and Bella were cooking--well, at least trying to. The kitchen was a mess and so were they.

"Er…I think I do," Bella said uncertainly.

"Why are we cooking the muggle way?" Sirius asked. "Wouldn't it be easier just to use magic?"

"Yes, it would be. But we're cooking the muggle way because Lily says it tastes better. And it does. Besides, it's more fun."

"What are we making anyways?"

"Er…this noodle thingy Lily mentioned a while ago. It's spa…spaghetto?…No, it's spaghetti. Yeah, that's it!"

"Oh."

About half an hour later, Sirius and Bella were standing in the middle of a very big mess. 

"Sirius?" Bella asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can you set the table while I clean up?"

"Sure."

Then they cleaned themselves up. Just then, Remus apparated in with James and Lily.

"Sirius," James said, grinning. "All right, buddy?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sirius said, looking at his feet. "Sorry for acting like a bastard lately."

"Don't worry," Remus said, grinning too. "You were just a _tiny_ bit more of a bastard than usual."

They all laughed, including Sirius.

"So are things okay between you two?" Lily asked Sirius and Bella.

"Yeah, we're fine," Bella said, smiling.

"Good," Lily said, smiling too. She casually slid next to Sirius. "Good…I'm glad everything's fine. Because I really want to do this." She slapped Sirius upside his head.

"What the hell was that for?!" Sirius yelled, rubbing his head.

"For making everybody worried about you two, for hurting Bella, and for being a total and complete idiot."

"She's right, you know," James said, grinning again.

Sirius sighed. "I guess I deserved that."

"Yes, you did," Lily said. But then she hugged him and said softly, "I'm really sorry about your parents, Sirius. I understand."

Sirius smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure you do," he said sincerely.

"Great," Remus said. "Now everything's all right again. Now can we get some food? I'm hungry."

"What are we having?" Lily asked. "Anything I can help with?"

"Oh no, thanks," Bella said. "It's ready. Sirius and I've worked on it all day."

"Sirius helped with it?" James said, in mock-concern. "Maybe we should consider ordering some other--"

Sirius hit him playfully. "Don't worry, pal. Together, Bella and I make the best food."

"Let's eat," Bella said. 

After dinner, they settled in the living room. While Bella was in the kitchen getting deserts, Sirius said, "Bella's birthday is coming up."

"Oh yeah," Lily said.

"I want to do something special for her," Sirius continued. "Do you guys have any suggestions?"

"Throw her a surprise party," James suggested.

"Nah. Too obvious."

"Take her somewhere romantic," Remus offered.

"Okay…but where?"

"Ooh! I know," Lily exclaimed. She leaned over and whispered her idea to Sirius.

"That's brilliant, Lily!" he cried happily. "Thanks!"

"What is--" James began.

"Shh…" Lily said. Bella had come back with some pie.

"What's up?" she said.

"Nothing, honey," Sirius said, kissing her on the cheek. "Just saying how much I love you."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey Lorie!" Kyle called from across the office. They were at work.

"Yeah?" Lorie asked.

"Mr. Aggrit just told me to get you. We're going to get some new images for next month's cover."

"Oh okay," Lorie said. "See you later, Debbie!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lorie and Kyle apparated in the middle of a field. It was filled with wild flowers and untamed grass.

"We're getting the new image for the cover here?" Lorie asked.

"Yep," Kyle said. "That's what Mr. Aggrit wants."

"All right." So they snapped a few photos together, and had a great time doing so. Kyle seemed to like Lorie a lot. He was really friendly and sometimes, it felt as though he was trying very hard not to appear to be flirting with Lorie. She seemed to be oblivious to his strange behavior though.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That night, Lorie received a letter from Remus.

Dear Lorie,

Hey. What's happening? It's so dull over here without you. I mean, it's not like our friends are boring. It's just James and Lily are married, and Sirius and Bella are back together…and…I guess I just miss you. It's uncomfortable to see them together and me just being in the way. I really wish you were here. Well, work's been occupying. But once I'm home…it's lonely again. Write back soon, please. I'll be waiting.

Love,

Remus

*Aww…* Lorie thought. Poor Remus. She sighed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dear Remus,

Hello, love. It's dull over here without you too. I miss you a lot. Nothing is happening over here. Oh, but did I tell you? Someone moved in next doors a few days ago. His name is Kyle Hunter and he's very nice. He, like you, went to Hogwarts. He's a couple of years older than us. You might know him. Well, that's all that's new. I have to go now. Write soon.

Love you,

Lorie

P.S. I'm glad that things are all right between Sirius and Bella. I'll be praying that things stay that way.

Remus read the part about the new neighbor over. _Kyle Hunter…_That name sounded oddly familiar.

"Hey Sirius!" he called.

"What Moony?" Sirius said.

"Do you remember someone named Kyle Hunter?"

"Kyle Hunter? Wasn't he in Ravenclaw?"

"Oh yeah…I remember. He was Head Boy when we were in our second year, right?"

"I think so. Why do you ask?"

"He's Lorie new neighbor."

"Oh. Are you all right with it?"

"Yeah…yeah, I guess so. I mean, why shouldn't I be?"

"Well, if I remember correctly, he was actually pretty good-looking."

"Yeah…but I trust Lorie."

"Ah…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

A/N: Lots of stuff coming up in the next chapter. Bella's birthday…and *ahem* some other stuff. *Grins evilly* Want to know what it is? Please review.


	31. The Best Birthday

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

To e!i: Lol. I'm sorry. This chapter is pure Sirius and Bella fluff. I'll get to James and Lily soon.

To Angelisa Snape: Lol. Psychic? Well, you got part of it right. Lol. We'll see.

To roseann: Lol. We'll see. We'll see.

To mammothboardergal: Lol. Sure.

****

PLEASE READ: I'm sorry. This chapter made me cry. It's going to be terribly fluffy, and well, I think it's a bit cheesy too. But I can't help it; I'm a hopeless romantic, okay? Or at lease, that's what I give myself credit for. So excuse me if…er…let's just say, if you find this chapter disturbing. I also forgot to add, that dialogues might seem awkward at times, because even though I have this chapter all planned out, it's hard to put it in words. Oh, and I'm sorry. I'm not going to be able to fit everything that I planned into this chapter. It's too long already. Maybe in the next one.

Chapter 31

Sirius woke up early on Bella's birthday. He showered and dressed. Then he made breakfast. After he was done, Sirius walked down the hall to Bella's room and pushed the door open. Bella was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Sirius pulled up a chair, took her hand in his, and watched her sleep for a while. Sirius glanced at the clock on Bella's bedside, and saw that it was getting sort of late; the breakfast would be cold. He bent over and kissed Bella gently.

"Wake up, honey," he said softly, running his hand gently through her hair. Bella stirred and opened her eyes slowly. She smiled when she saw Sirius.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Happy birthday," Sirius said, kissing her again.

Bella smiled. "You remember?"

"Of course. Now get up and shower. I made you some breakfast. Then you have work."

Bella groaned. "Work on my birthday?"

"Yep," Sirius said grinning. "But after work…" He smiled mysteriously.

"What's going to happen after work?" Bella asked curiously.

"You'll see. Now, get up, Bella."

"All right, all right."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You made breakfast?" Bella asked, glancing at the kitchen table.

"Yep," Sirius said proudly.

"Without magic?"

"Er…not exactly."

Bella giggled. "It's all right. Where's Remus?"

"He left already."

"Oh."

After breakfast, Sirius hurried Bella off to work.

"Don't you have work today, too?" Bella asked, pulling on her cloak.

"Nope. I took the day off."

"Why?"

"Some reason."

"_Okay…_" Bella said slowly. "Well then, bye."

"See you later."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Bella got home that night, Sirius greeted her with a warm hug.

"Hey," he whispered in her ear. "How was work?"

"Tiring," Bella said with a yawn.

"Well, I hope you're not too tired. Let's go."

"Go where?"

"You'll see when we get there."

"Okay…hold on, let me change."

"Change? You don't need to change."

"I'm in my work clothes!"

"You look beautiful, Bella."

"I want to change anyway."

"All right. I'll wait. But hurry."

"Okay, okay."

Bella came out later wearing a knee-length, red skirt and a long sleeve, white shirt.

"You look amazing, Bella," Sirius said. "Now let's go."

"All right."

Sirius led her outside to his flying motorcycle.

"We're using _this_?" Bella asked.

"Yep," Sirius answered. "Here, I'll help you." Sirius helped her onto it, and then climbed on behind her. He pulled out a blindfold. "Let me just put this on you."

"Er…Sirius?" Bella said. "I don't know if this is a good idea." 

"Why not?"

"Well…let's just say, I'm not really fond of heights…especially if I'm not going to be able to see."

Sirius smiled, held on to Bella tightly, and said softly, "You're safe, Bella. Trust me."

And from under in the blindfold, Bella smiled too. "I do," she whispered.

"All right. Then let's go."

They took off and flew for a while. Then Sirius landed. He got off and helped Bella.

"Can I take the blindfold off now?" Bella asked.

"Nope, not yet. We have a bit to walk until we're there."

"How can I walk, if I can't see?"

"I'll guide you."

So they walked for a while. Bella could tell that they're in a grassy place. Plants were brushing against her legs.

"We're here," Sirius said. He took off her blindfold.

Bella gasped. It was all she could do. Sirius had taken her to a grassy hill, overlooking the city. In front of them was a blanket, set with candles, plates, and silverware, and a picnic basket was sitting in the corner.

"Wow, Sirius," Bella managed to say at last. "You did all this?"

"Anything for you," Sirius said, grinning. "C'mon."

They sat down and Sirius took out the food.

"Mmm…" Bella said, taking another bite of her lasagna (a/n: yes, I put in a lot of Italian food, because I love them). "This is great. Did you make it?"

"Er…with a little help from Lily," Sirius said. "Well, okay, a lot of help."

Bella laughed. 

After they were done, Sirius pulled out a cake. Bella gasped again. It was a small, one-layered, heart-shaped, vanilla cake, with a lot of whipped cream on top. But what attracted Bella's eyes was the red icing. It simply formed the words _I love you_ in a heart. But…but to Bella, it's just so…so meaningful…so beautiful. Sirius had said it tons of times to her, of course, but…but somehow…this just seem so much…so much more.

Sirius saw her look at the icing, and said softly, "Eight letters, three words, one meaning: I love you."

Bella shifted her gaze from the cake to Sirius. She started to cry. Sirius placed his hands on Bella's cheek, and caressed it, wiping away her tears. 

"Shh…don't cry, Bella," he whispered. "Please, don't. I hate seeing you cry. It makes me want to change the world so everything would be all right again."

"I'm sorry," Bella said, sniffing. "I don't know why I'm crying. I'm just so…so _touched_. Nobody had ever gone through so much trouble for me."

"You're worth it, Bella. You're worth it all. And much more. Here, let me slice up this cake up." He took out a knife from the basket, and was about to slice the cake, when Bella reached out and stopped him.

"Don't," she said. "I don't want you to break this heart. I don't want you to tear apart the words 'I love you'."

Sirius took her hand and placed it on his chest, where his heart is. Bella could feel his heart beating beneath her fingers. "It's already engraved in here," Sirius said. So Bella nodded, and Sirius sliced the cake apart. He put one chunk on a plate and took out a spoon.

"Only one slice?" Bella asked. "Are you not eating?"

"No, I thought that we should share this," Sirius said. "It'll be more romantic." He scooped a bit of the cake and held it out to Bella. She took a bite, and then he did. Soon, the piece of cake was gone. There was some leftover cream on the plate, though. Sirius scooped it up with the spoon, and smeared it on Bella's lips.

"Why did you do that?" Bella said.

"So I can do this," said Sirius. He leaned in and kissed it away. "Sweet."

Bella laughed, as Sirius put everything away in the basket. Then, he leaned back on the blanket, and Bella sat in front of him, leaning on his chest. They looked up at the sky.

"The stars sure are bright tonight," Bella said.

"Yep," Sirius said. They stargazed awhile longer. Then, Sirius glanced at his watch. It should be about time. He looked back up at the sky. Sure enough, a shooting star flew by.

"Look Bella," he said, pointing at it. "Make a wish."

Bella closed her eyes. _I wish eternal happiness for Sirius._ Meanwhile, Sirius was wishing, _I wish for Bella to always be happy._

After they were done, Sirius looked at Bella. "What did you wish for?" he asked.

"I'm not telling," Bella said. "It won't come true."

"I can tell you made an unselfish wish. You probably wished something good for me, right? Well, I know you too well, Bella. I wished something good for you too. So there."

Bella smiled. "Whatever. Hey, how did you know the exact moment when the shooting star would come by?" she asked.

"Well, I sort of arranged it," he said, smiling.

"_How_?"

"Pulled a few strings at the Ministry."

Bella kissed him. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know," Sirius said haughtily. Then he grinned. "So are you. Now, I have one last gift for you."

"Another? Sirius, this is enough. This is the best birthday I've ever had. You don't need to give me anything else."

"But I want to. Here." Sirius handed her a small box. "Open it."

Bella did. Inside was a silver, heart-shaped locket. On the front, the letter's 'S' and 'A' were engraved together. Bella opened it and saw a picture of her and Sirius from James and Lily's wedding on one side. On the other side, Sirius had engraved something. _I'll always love you._

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Okay, I was about to add that "other something" that I said at the end of the last chapter. But this chapter took me by surprise. It was much longer than I had expected. So, I'm sorry, but I must move the "other something" to the next chapter, okay? It'll be worth it though, I think. Oh and let me note this: I don't think I've ever said this, but the title of this fic is really important. Each couple (i.e. James/Lily, Remus/Lorie, and Sirius/Bella), are going to have one chapter, where the last sentence is "I'll always love you," dedicated to them. Now, you can see that this chapter is already Sirius/Bella. When are the others going to come in? I don't know yet. But I just want to clarify it, okay? Please review. 


	32. Why Are You So Stubborn?

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you everybody who reviewed. You guys ROCKS!!

Okay, I've been waiting for this chapter for quite awhile now. All of my original characters are going through slow changes (I'm sure you can see it. If you want a better and more detailed explanation, check it out in my bio under My Fic; I'll Always Love You). And in this chapter, you can see some of the challenges that James and Lily have to face as a married couple. I personally adore this chapter.

Chapter 32

While Sirius was out with Bella, Lily was sitting at home, waiting for James to come home from work. He was late. She had already eaten dinner and had settled on the couch in her nightgown to watch the television. Later, James apparated in. He looked dead tired.

"Hey," Lily said. "How was work?"

"Fun," James said sarcastically.

"Well, _sorry_," Lily replied, frowning. "Look, why don't you go shower, eat, and then get a good night rest?"

"I think I'll skip dinner and shower, and just hit the hay," James said, walking into his room. He started to undress down to his boxer and then left his clothes in a mess on the floor…along with some other piles of clothing. Lily walked in and looked around the room with a disgusted expression.

"You know, James," she said, "you could _try_ hanging up your clothes and not just leave them on the floor."

"Lily, you're my wife. Why don't _you _do it?"

Lily looked insulted. "_Excuse me_? Is it my job as your wife to clean up after you?"

"Well, sort of."

"This is an equal relationship, James. I make a mess, I clean it up. You make a mess, _you_ clean it up."

"Fine, Lily. Fine. I'll do it tomorrow, okay?"

"James, it's a mess. Messes need to be cleaned up."

"And I'll clean it up tomorrow."

"If it takes so much effort to stand up and put away _your_ mess, James, then I'll do it."

"You don't have to, Lily. You're right, I should clean it."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"I'm exhausted, Lily. Let's just get to bed. I'll clean it tomorrow."

"You just said you'd clean it!"

"I didn't say tonight. Besides, why don't we just use magic?"

"Because we're in a muggle neighborhood, James. And we shouldn't use magic for everything."

"Then what's the point of having a witch and a wizard in the house?"

"Just because we know magic, doesn't mean that we should use them for every little thing. What if there was an emergency and we couldn't use magic?"

"This isn't an emergency! And we _can _use magic, Lily!"

"But what if we can't?"

"Argh! Fine. Whatever."

"James! Why are you acting like this?"

"Acting like what, Lily? All I want to do is just go to sleep. But you're making a big deal out of nothing!"

"It's _not_ nothing, James! What if our baby trips over your trash?"

"Lily, what are you, mad? We don't have a baby!"

"Are you saying you don't want to have a baby with me?"

"That's not what I'm saying!"

"Okay," Lily crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying: Forget the stupid mess, forget the stupid fight. Let's just go to bed, okay?" He reached out and put an arm around Lily, attempting to walk her over to the bed. But Lily held back.

"What made you think I'm going to sleep next to _you_ tonight?"

"What?" James looked flabbergasted.

Lily walked over to the bed and took her pillow. "I'm sleeping on the couch."

"What? Why?"

"Because I don't want to sleep next to an inconsiderate slob."

"Lily, you're being impossible!"

"I am not!" she said stubbornly, lying down on the couch.

"Argh!" James took a deep breath. He walked into the living room, and looked down at Lily, who was determined to ignore him. "Okay, Lily. Fine. If you don't want to sleep with me tonight, then fine. Why don't you take the room, then? I'll settle on the couch."

"Why do you want the couch, James?"

"I _don't_ want it. All I want was to go to bed. _But_ you have to go and make everything complicated. So you can take the room. I'm a man. I'll take the couch."

Lily stood up. "Are you saying that I can't handle the couch because I'm a woman?"

"Lily, come on. Let's be honest here. You and I both know, that you'd be better off in the room."

"James, good night." Lily flopped back down on the couch and closed her eyes.

James was too tired to argue anymore. Yet he was so angry, because Lily was being so unusually stubborn. He watched Lily for a while, but she had her back turned to him. He was getting drowsy. James walked back to his room and fell into bed. He was asleep within seconds.

Lily, on the other hand, had quite an uneasy night. The couch was uncomfortable and cold. Lily wished she had a blanket around her…or maybe James. But why is he acting so strange? Why are they suddenly disagreeing with nearly everything? She eventually fell asleep after wondering some more…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Lol. Betcha didn't expect that! This was a stupid fight, but believe me, all marriages have stupid fights. Otherwise, it wouldn't be complete. Anyways, I know this was a short chapter. Please review.


	33. What A Stupid Fight!

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you, my angels, for reviewing. *Big hug*

A lot of people had been telling me not to break Remus and Lorie up. I don't know why, but every time I read their review, I just crack up. I guess it's because…well, why does everybody assume that I'm going to tear them apart? Lol. I thought that I was very subtle about it. Lol. Okay, maybe not. But really, guys, I don't want to ruin the surprise. Lol.

Chapter 33

Lily woke up early the next day. She got up and tiptoed into the bedroom. She didn't want to wake James. She also didn't want to talk to him after last night. Lily grabbed some clothes and then showered. Then she made breakfast quietly. While finishing up her omelet, Lily wondered whether she should leave any for James. 

*Well, he _is_ your husband,* a little voice in her head said.

*But he never made any breakfast for me,* another voice argued back.

*To be fair, you've always woken up before him.*

*Well, why doesn't he try waking up before me?*

*Why should he? You can sleep late. Nobody's stopping you. Besides, his job is tiring--*

*So's mine!*

*Is that his fault?*

*Well…no. But--*

*You _wanted_ to wake up before him, anyways. You wanted him to get his sleep.*

*Why do I?*

*Because you love him.*

*Oh right. Guess I forgot.*

*…*

*Shut up.*

*I didn't say anything.*

*You just did.*

*Shut up.*

*You shut up.*

"You both shut up!!" Lily cried out loud. She remembered that James was still sleeping and clapped a hand over her mouth. She decided to leave him breakfast. Lily apparated to work.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James woke up later that morning, but did not open his eyes. He turned on his side and extended his hand. He felt around. Nothing. James opened his eyes. Lily was not there. Oh yeah. The stupid fight they had. James got up and started hanging up or putting away his clothes. That should solve the problem. He walked into the kitchen and saw the food. *Lily made breakfast. Is she still mad then?* 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So…how was last night?" Lily asked Bella. They were on their break.

"Oh, it was amazing, Lily!" Bella said. Then she began telling Lily what happened. "…And he gave me this locket!" Bella showed Lily it. 

"Bella, this is beautiful!" Lily said. "Oh, that reminded me…here." Lily reached into her bag and pulled out a nicely wrapped package. She handed it to Bella. "It's from me and *ahem* James."

"Thanks, Lily," Bella said. She unwrapped it and found a beautiful photo album. She leafed through it and saw many memorable pictures. Bella put it down and hugged Lily. "Thank you," she said again.

"No problem, Bella," Lily replied. And just then, two owls flew in. They dropped the parcels they were carrying in front of Bella.

"This one's from Lorie," Lily said, picking up one of them.

"The other's from Remus," Bella said, opening it. Remus had gotten her a nice plush animal. Bella opened Lorie's and found some delicious-looking American sweets.

"Cool," Bella said, putting them away. Then she turned to Lily. "So…what's happening between you and James?"

"N-nothing," Lily said. "Why do you ask?"

"Come on, Lily. I'm your best friend. I could tell something is wrong by the way you said his *ahem* name."

"Well…we got into a stupid fight yesterday."

"Really? Wow. Well, is everything all right?"

"Not really. I slept on the couch last night."

"Really? And James let you?"

"Well, he offered me the room, but I didn't want it."

"How did it start anyway?"

"Well…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Gees, Jamesie," Sirius said, "you sure are grumpy today."

"Shut up," James said.

"What's wrong, Prongs?" Remus asked.

"Nothing. It's just…Lily and I got into a stupid fight yesterday."

"Really?" Sirius said. "Wow. I thought I'd never see the day when you two disagree about something."

"We've been having small arguments for quite awhile. But last night was big."

"What happened?" Remus asked.

"Well, you know how much work we had yesterday right? I came home exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep. But she went and started yelling at me to clean up. So I told her to clean it up because she's the wife. And she got more angry and started causing all these stupid things about me not wanting to have a kid with her and all. And finally, I told her let's just get to bed and I'll clean it tomorrow. And she said she wouldn't sleep next to me and then she took the couch. So I offered her the room and I'll take the couch because I'm the man. She got all huffy and told me good night! I mean, can you believe her?"

Sirius started laughing, while Remus just shook his head.

"What?!" James cried.

"Wh-what a…haha…s-stu…haha…stupid f-fight!" Sirius managed to choke out between laughs.

James scowled.

"James, I'm almost positive that's not how it happened," Remus said.

"Huh?"

"You're making it sound like Lily's fault. But even though I wasn't there, I could tell you exaggerated a bit."

"Well…maybe a little. But what is it with her? I mean, what's her problem?"

"It's not just hers, James. It's yours too. And from what you just told me, I could say that you made plenty of mistakes and caused many reasons for Lily to be angry."

"What?"

"Well, first of all, you made a big mistake when saying that she should clean up because she's the wife. It should be an equal relationship."

"That's what she said, but--oh shut up, Padfoot!" James yelled at Sirius, who was still laughing.

"And she's right, James. Second, you might've said something that sort of implied that you didn't want to have a kid with her--don't interrupt, James. That might not be the case, but maybe Lily misunderstood. And your last big mistake was offering to take the couch--"

"What? If it was you and Lorie, wouldn't you have offered to?"

"Well, I wouldn't fight with her in the first place. I would've just cleaned up. And if I did offer to take the couch, I wouldn't have used your reason. You know, about being a man and everything. You offended her. It was a sexist comment."

"Well, I didn't really mean it like that--"

"But you said it, Prongs. You said it."

"Why are you so good at this stuff, Moony?"

"Dunno. Why are you so bad at it?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When James got home that night, Lily was once again, sitting on the couch and watching the television. 

"Hi," he said.

"Evening," Lily said stiffly. "Dinner is on the table."

"Oh," James sat down in an armchair. "Er…I picked up the mess. I mean, my mess."

"I've noticed."

James started to get angry again. He said he cleaned up. What more does she want? But he calmed a bit, remembering what Remus told him.

"So…are you sleeping in the room tonight?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"If you can't figure it out, then too bad."

"Fine, Lily. Fine. You know what? I don't care. Sleep on the couch if you want. I don't care anymore! Don't care if you're uncomfortable; don't care if you're cold. I don't care!"

Lily looked hurt. Tears formed in her eyes, but she blinked it back.

James realized what he just said. "Oh, Lily. I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"

"Good night, James," Lily said softly, turning off the television. 

"Lily…" James didn't know what to say anymore. He ate dinner quickly and went to his room. *That's got to be the stupidest thing you've ever said* he thought angrily to himself. *Now she's going to think that you don't care.*

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tears fell silently from her eyes to her pillow. *Did he mean what he said?* Lily thought. *Didn't he say when he proposed that he would always care?* Sometimes, always doesn't last forever…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James couldn't sleep. The bed felt awfully empty without Lily. He decided to check on her. James got up and walked into the living room. He sat down on the edge of the couch. Lucky for him, Lily was a deep sleeper. James looked at Lily. Her face was tear-stained and her pillow was wet. James noticed that she was shivering slightly. He got up and walked back to his room. James took his pillow and blanket. He sat back down on the couch. James placed his hand around the back of Lily's neck and gently lifted her head up. He quickly swapped pillows with her. Then James tucked the blanket around Lily. He kissed her forehead lightly and took her pillow back to his room. James laid his head down on it. The wetness was sort of uncomfortable, so he switched it to the other side. It has Lily's familiar scent of lilacs. James inhaled deeply and soon fell asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: This chapter sucks, I know. Please be a dear and review anyways.


	34. Because I Care

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

To ronandhermione4ever: Thank you. Your review was quite flattering.

To tali: Lol. Glad you found it funny.

To Brittny: Lol. Were you a bit hyper when you wrote that? Lol. 

To Aarien Star: I saw that movie already. It rocks. Became one of my favorites. I'm sure you'll love it. Orlando Bloom is so hot and you gotta love Johnny Depp.

To Hermione101888: Wow. Okay, I don't want to spoil anything, but I must say, wow. 

To e!i : No, not this chapter. James and Lily are really special. They're the couple that this fic is supposed to be mainly about. So I'm saving theirs for…well, I don't want to say it now. You'll see…you'll see.

Sorry I didn't get this up sooner. I had fallen ill. And I'm also sorry the last few chapters were a bit depressing. I had to get it in there though. For *ahem* a few reasons. *Grins* Okay, okay. I'm not really good at being mysterious.

Chapter 34

__

* Lily and James were eating dinner together. Suddenly, James took out a bunch of papers and threw it in front of Lily.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Sign it," James said.

"What is it?"

"Divorce papers. Sign it."

"We're separating? Why?"

"This marriage was a mistake."

"No…no. James, please don't. I love you. Didn't you say you'd always love me? What happened?"

"Sometimes always doesn't last forever, Lily."

Sometimes always doesn't last forever…Sometimes always doesn't last forever…*

Lily woke up, panting slightly. She wiped the sweat that were hanging on her forehead with the back of her hand. That dream was horrible. She did not want that to happen between her and James. Lily hugged the blanket tightly. Wait. Blanket? Where did…? James… Does that mean he…? Lily sat up and the pillow fell out from behind her. Picking it up, Lily noticed that it wasn't hers. It was James's. But why…why did she have his pillow? Pushing these thoughts and questions aside, Lily quickly showered, dressed, and left for work. She didn't bother making breakfast. Today was James's day off, so he'd be sleeping really late. He could order something for lunch by then.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Indeed, James did sleep late that day. It was around noon by the time he woke up. James decided that he was going to make it up to Lily today. He quickly ate whatever he found around the house. Then he started cleaning and afterward, went out to buy some stuff.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lily came home that night to find the house very clean and filled with lilies. It smelled wonderful. Lily felt as tough she had apparated inside a garden. She hung up her coat and then walked into a dimly lit kitchen. The table was very nicely set, with candles and everything.

"James?" Lily called. This was all very strange. Even though she's angry with James, she didn't want anything to happen to him (a/n: duh).

James came out of the bathroom wearing a lopsided apron. 

"What's going on?" Lily asked. 

James just smiled and took her hand. 

"Let go, James," Lily said, trying to free herself.

James continued to smile and did not let her go. He dragged her to the couch and sat her down. 

"James, what is going on?"

James took Lily's hands and held it to his chest. "Lily, just listen to me, okay? First of all, I am sorry for the stupid fight we had. It was my fault. I should've just clean up. I shouldn't have made those stupid sexist comments. I'm sorry for being stubborn. Forgive me?"

Lily looked at James's sincere eyes. She looked away. "You said you didn't care. That hurt, James, it really did. We…we said when we got married that we would always care for each other. I still care about you, James. I care about you a lot. But…but hearing that you don't…just…it just hurts…"

"Lily, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I was really angry at the time. That was the stupidest thing I've ever said, Lily. Believe me. I care about you a lot. I care about you more than anything or anyone. You mean the world to me, Lily. I love you. But you know what? This stupid fight…it had me realize something. When we got married, I thought that this marriage would be perfect…that we would never bicker over anything. But after this fight…I realized that no marriage is perfect, Lily. But that's okay. Because I love you. We can make this marriage work. And it doesn't matter that we have little arguments sometimes, because we'll always be there for each other. I'm always here for you, Lily. I love you."

"I love you too, James," Lily whispered. "And to level with you, the fight wasn't completely your fault. I was being stubborn too. I don't know why I was…but I'm sorry for it." James gave her a warm hug and they smiled at each other. 

"Come on," James said, taking her hand. "Let's eat. I cooked."

"You did?" Lily raised an eyebrow. "All by yourself?"

"Yep. C'mon. Let's try it."

"Oh, James. Wait. Before we do, I have a question. Well, two actually."

"Okay, shoot."

"Why did I have your pillow?"

"Oh. Well, yours was wet, and I didn't want you to be uncomfortable. So I switched yours with mines."

"Oh. And why did I have the blanket?"

"Because I didn't want you to get cold. Because I care."

Lily kissed him. "Thank you."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, Remus was eating dinner with Sirius and Bella. Well, at least they were. Remus was just playing with his food.

"What's wrong, Moony?" Sirius asked.

"I miss Lorie," he said, sighing.

"Don't you always?" Bella slapped Sirius upside his head. "Ow!"

"Don't be so insensitive!" she scolded. She turned to Remus. "Remus, I think you are very sweet for thinking of Lorie. I know she thinks about you too. I mean, you guys write everyday, right?"

"Yes, but it's not the same. There're certain things you just can't…can't express through letters."

"What you means, is that you can't kiss through letters," Sirius said, grinning.

"Shut up, Sirius," Bella said. 

"What? It's true."

"Yes, but I'm sure that's not all his misses about Lorie. Anyways, why don't you just take a couple of days off to visit her?"

"I guess," Remus said uncertainly. "But things at work has been really busy."

"Don't worry about it, Moony," Sirius said. "James and I can cover for you."

"Okay, thanks. I'll consider it."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: I'm sorry. I know this chapter is weak too. Oh well. Please review anyways.

By the way, here's a poem I found that I thought really fits in the Lily/James fight thing. It's great. I don't know who wrote it though.

Never say "I love you"

If you really don't care

Never talk about feelings 

If they aren't really there

Never hold my hand

If your gonna break my heart

Never say you're going to

If you're not gonna start

Never look into my eyes

If all you do is lie

Never say hello

If you really mean good-bye

If you really mean forever

Then say you will try

Never say forever

'Cause forever makes me cry

__


	35. We're Only Friends!

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

****

I know, I know. The last few chapters suck majorly. I really hope that this one is better. *Sighs* I am hoping to end this fic soon. Very soon. 

Chapter 35

"I had a really horrible dream last night," Lily said to James over dinner.

"What is it?" James asked. His eyes told Lily that he was very concerned.

"W-we were eating dinner and…and you said we were getting a divorce. I-I was really scared. I don't ever want that happen, James."

"It won't, Lily," James said. He held her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry. It was just a dream. That will never happen. Our marriage is going to last forever. I love you. I always will."

"In the dream…you said…you said that sometimes always doesn't last forever."

"In this case, it will. I will never stop loving you, Lily."

"I hope so, James. I hope so." Lily still looked a bit unconvinced. James sensed it. He leaned across the table and hugged her. 

"Believe me, Lily," he whispered.

"I-I do, James. I do."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey Kyle!" Lorie called.

"Hey," said Kyle. "What's up?"

"We're supposed to edit some of these images, right here. Do you wanna come over to my place later to fix it?"

"Sure," he said, smiling slightly.

"Great. I can rent a couple of muggle movies to watch while we work. See you later."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey Debbie," Lorie said. "Kyle's coming over later. We're going to be fixing some images and watching a couple of movies. You don't mind, do you?"

"You've got a date with him? Lorie, no fair! You've got that really sweet boyfriend and now you're going to get Kyle too!"

"It is not a date. It's strictly business."

"Uh huh. Right. Business. Call it what you want, but I don't think your sweet boyfriend would appreciate you dating other guys."

"Debbie! I am not dating Kyle! We're just friends. He's just coming over to work on the pictures!"

"Then what's with the movies?"

"Well, it'll be boring just working! So I thought we could watch a couple of movies while doing so!"

"Right. What did Kyle say?"

"He said yes. Come on, we'd have to work on it either way! Why not make it a bit more fun?"

"Uh huh. _Fun._"

"Look, there's nothing going on between Kyle and I, okay? We only see each others as friends."

"Well, I sense some chemistry between you two. But, hey, that's just me. 

"For the last time, we're only friends!"

"Right. Well, _you_ might see him as a friend. It's totally obvious that he likes you."

"He does not! He's just really friendly. Not only to me, to everybody."

"To everybody he's 'friendly'. To you, it's just plain flirting!"

"You are so annoying!"

"You're in denial."

Lorie sighed. "Whatever, Debs. Why don't you go out tonight?"

"Why? You want some private time with him?"

"No. I want you to stop bugging me. If you stay here then we'll never get any work done."

"Ah, I see. If I'm here then you won't get any _work_ done. Right."

"You have such a sick mind."

"What? I never said anything."

"I give up. I can't argue with you. Just get out. Bye. See you later."

Debbie pouted. "You're so mean."

"And you're so annoying! BYE!!"

"Fine. Be that way. But before I go, I have one more thing to say."

"Say it, and leave. Please."

"Well, you're very lucky to have such a nice boyfriend. Don't make any stupid mistakes. It's not worth it if the risk is greater than the reward. In this case, the risk is your boyfriend. The reward? I don't know…" She left.

Lorie sighed. She loved Remus. He's the only guy she needed. She never even thought of Kyle in a romantic way. And she was sure that he felt the same about her. Didn't he?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey," Kyle said. He had just apparated inside of Lorie's apartment.

"Oh hi," Lorie said, smiling. *See Debbie?* she thought to herself. *He's just friendly.* "Listen, have a seat, make yourself at home. I'll get us some drinks and we can get started."

"All right."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Just a teeny tiny cliffy. Forgive me. Please review.


	36. My Heart Is With Him

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I really appreciate it.

To Brittny: Wow. Okay, that was certainly interesting. You could write your own fic! Oh wait, you did. UPDATE IT!! Lol. Sorry. No pressure. There's only a little problem with your theory though. If Remus found Kyle raping Lorie, then he wouldn't feel betrayed. He s_houldn't_. I mean, it's not exactly her fault if Kyle was forcing him on her, is it?

To Rachel Lewis: Interesting. Well, we'll see. We'll see. *Smiles mysteriously*

Hey guys. Listen, I'm only _planning_ on ending this soon. I mean, I don't really know where to go from this chapter. But I really must end it within a few more chapters because I don't really want to spend much more time on this. I'm hoping that this doesn't go over forty chapters. I think it will though. Right now, I'm guessing this will be a forty-two to forty-five chapters story. Not sure yet. I'm anxious to start another one. Lily and James, of course. Whatever I do, I'll keep you updated. I promise.

PLEASE READ: I'm going to be switching back and forth between Remus and Lorie's points of view, okay? I also might repeat some stuff. Just want to let you guys know, so there should be no confusion.

Chapter 36 (Whoa. Already?)

"So how long are you going?" Sirius asked. Remus was finishing up his packing.

"A couple of days," he answered, picking up his bag.

"Did you let Lorie know yet?" Bella asked.

"Er…no. I want to surprise her. I'm going to apparate to her apartment and well, surprise her."

"Ah…I don't know if that's such a good idea. Maybe you should let her know."

"Too late. I'm going right now. See ya."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Remus's Point of View)

Remus appeared in Lorie's bedroom with a _crack. _It was empty. He heard voices coming from the living room so he opened the door and decided to see what's going on. As he walked down the hallway, Remus recognized Lorie's voice. But the other one…it couldn't be her roommate because it wasn't a girl's voice. The voice was pretty deep. It belonged to a man. Remus panicked slightly. Lorie and some man were alone in the apartment. And it sounds like they were having fun too. They were laughing. Remus's heart beat a bit faster. *No. There was nothing to worry about* he thought. *I can trust Lorie. I can trust her.* He finally reached the end of the hallway. Remus peaked around the corner and saw Lorie sitting on the couch next to…. Is that…? No way. But he _does _look a lot like…Kyle Hunter. It was Kyle! He changed though. Kyle looked like what Remus remembered…only more…_more._ Just more. More what? Remus did not know.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

(Lorie's Point of View)

Crack.

"Did you hear something?" Lorie asked Kyle.

"What?" Kyle said. He was too occupied with staring at Lorie to notice anything.

"Did you hear something? Just now."

"No. Nothing. Why?"

"I…I don't know. I heard something."

"It must've come from somewhere outside then."

"Yeah…yeah, I guess."

They sat in silence for a while, just brewing the potion to fix the pictures and watching the movie. They also laughed occasionally during funny parts of the movie.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Remus's Point of View)

Remus wanted to jump out and grab Lorie, but he resisted. Yes, that surely would surprise her, but Remus wanted to see whether he _could_ trust her. Part of him felt guilty for doubting Lorie, but he really wanted to see if she was loyal. So Remus remained where he was and watched Lorie and Kyle. 

Lorie wasn't really watching the movie. She was more focused on the potion that she was brewing, adding more ingredients at times. She looked at the television every few seconds or so, keeping an eye on the potion all the time. 

Kyle, like Lorie, wasn't really watching the movie either. He was watching Lorie instead. Remus thought he knew that Kyle was thinking. He was probably planning a move on Lorie. He felt his temper rising at the thought. But then again, he could be wrong. Or not. He watched as Kyle scooted closer to Lorie so that he was right next to her. Remus gripped the wall to hold himself back from jumping out and sitting between the two. Lorie didn't seem to notice though; she just added something to the potion. 

Kyle yawned loudly and stretched his arms. He casually put one of them around the top of the couch, across Lorie's shoulder. He made sure not to touch her shoulders though. He didn't want to be too obvious. Remus clenched his fists. The old yawn and stretch move. He growled quietly. Grr… He was trying his hardest to contain himself. He wanted to see how Lorie would handle this. 

Remus watched as Kyle surreptitiously slid a hand onto Lorie's knee. Now she's _got_ to notice that! And indeed, she did.

"Er, Kyle?" Remus heard her asked.

"Yeah?"

"C-can you…can you take your hand…I mean, can you keep your hand to yourself? P-please?"

"Oh sorry." Remus watched as Kyle took his hand off of her knee and flashed her a smile. "I didn't realize your knee was there."

*What??* Remus thought, frustrated. That's got to be the worst alibi he had ever heard! How could he not notice that her knee was there? Lorie's not going to buy that, is she?

"Oh," Lorie said. "It's okay then."

*God!* Remus thought. Man. Lorie can be so naïve.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Lorie's Point of View)

Lorie thought that Kyle was sitting a bit too close to her. But she didn't want to be rude or anything. So she just sat there. It's not like Kyle actually touched her or anything. So she didn't mind too much. She continued working on the potion. Awhile later, Kyle slid his hand onto her knee. *Oh gosh* Lorie thought. *Maybe Debbie is right. Maybe he does like me. But…but then again, why should he? I mean, I'm not pretty or anything. Yeah. I'm sure he doesn't.*

"Er, Kyle?" Lorie said.

"Yeah?"

Lorie didn't want to sound like she was accusing him of anything. So she'd have to choose her words carefully. "C-can you…can you take your hand…I mean, can you keep your hand to yourself? P-please?"

"Oh sorry," Kyle said, smiling at Lorie and removing his hand. "I didn't realize your knee was there."

Lorie relaxed a bit. That made sense. He didn't know her knee was there. *See Debbie? He doesn't like me. Of course he doesn't.* "Oh. It's okay then."

Lorie went back to working on the potion. 

"Hey Lorie," Kyle said suddenly.

Lorie turned her head toward Kyle. He took his chance. Kyle held on to Lorie's arms and kissed her. Lorie pulled away quickly and stood up. *Okay, maybe Debbie is right. Maybe he does like me. Why though?*

"What's wrong?" Kyle asked standing up too.

"Kyle, w-why did you do that?" Lorie stuck her hand in her pocket and gripped her wand tightly. She hoped that she wouldn't have to use it.

"I really like you, Lorie."

"I have a boyfriend, Kyle. I-I thought you knew that."

"So? He's not here. So why don't we just--"

"It doesn't matter that he's not here! Listen, I might be here, but my heart is over there with him, okay?"

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Look--"

Lorie whipped out her wand. "Please leave." She pointed at the door. "I can finish this editing the pictures by myself."

"Lorie--"

"Please leave," Lorie repeated.

"All right. All right." He left.

Lorie sighed and turned off the television. Then she sank into the couch, running a hand through her hair. "Looks like Debbie won," she said to herself. "But still, why? Did I do something to make him think I like him? Other than that, I can't think of any reasons why he might like me. I mean, I'm not pretty. I'm not special…"

"Yes, you are," said a voice from somewhere behind her. Lorie turned around and saw a smiling Remus.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Remus's Point of View)

"Hey Lorie," Remus heard Kyle said.

Remus watched as Kyle grabbed Lorie and kissed her. Remus was shaking with anger. Lorie pulled away though. He calmed a bit. He watched the two of them stand up.

"What's wrong?" Kyle asked.

"Kyle, w-why did you do that?" Lorie said. *Duh!* Remus thought. *He's hitting on you!*

"I really like you, Lorie," Kyle said. *So he admitted it! About time!*

"I have a boyfriend, Kyle. I-I thought you knew that." *You mean you haven't told him??*

"So? He's not here. So why don't we just--"

"It doesn't matter that he's not here! Listen, I might be here, but my heart is over there with him, okay?"

Remus smiled and breathed. Lorie is loyal. Lorie could be trusted. Now he felt really guilty for doubting her. He watched as Kyle rolled his eyes.

"Look--"

Lorie whipped out her wand. "Please leave." She pointed at the door. "I can finish this editing the pictures by myself." *That's my girl!* Remus though. *Use the wand, if you must.*

"Lorie--"

"Please leave," Lorie repeated.

"All right. All right." He left. *Whew* Remus thought. That bastard is finally gone. Remus watched Lorie turn off the muggle television and sit on the couch. He was about to jump out and surprise her, when she spoke.

"Looks like Debbie won. But still, why? Did I do something to make him think I like him? Other than that, I can't think of any reasons why he might like me. I mean, I'm not pretty. I'm not special…"

Remus frowned. How could she think that? Of course she's pretty! Of course she's special. He stepped out and said, "Yes, you are."

Lorie turned around and saw Remus smiling at her. She squealed happily and jumped off the couch and into Remus's open arms.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Whoa. It's midnight right now. I stayed up and finished this for you. So review for my effort. I liked this chapter. It's pretty long and I think that I was pretty descriptive. I'm so proud. Lol. REVIEW!! (Please) **I wrote a new story!! It's a one-chapter fic, though. I'll post it as soon as my Beta returns it. Go check it out. It's Lily/James. I had fun writing it. **


	37. That Girl's A Nutcase!

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you everybody for reviewing. You guys are so wonderful.

Sorry for the long wait. Been lazy lately. Lol. And I have a minor writer's block. Bah…

I posted my new story already, as some of you had noticed. Thank you those of you who read it and reviewed. The rest of you, please give it a glance for me. Other readers enjoyed it, and I'm certain that you'd like it too. If you don't…then er, tell me why in a review and I'll try to improve, okay?

To Brittny: Hey! Yeah, I know that it was a bit cheesy, but I thought that it was much less than this one.

Chapter 37

"What are you doing here??" Lorie asked excitedly, once she had let go of Remus.

"I miss you," Remus admitted. "I came to visit."

"Well, that's terrific! How long have you been here?"

"Quite awhile," Remus said truthfully.

Lorie looked horror-struck. "D-did you…did you see what h-happened between…b-between Kyle and…and I?

"Yeah, I did."

Lorie began babbling. "Remus, I am so sorry…I didn't know that he liked me…I mean, Debbie--she's my roommate-- warned me, but I didn't believe her…I'm so sorry for that…I mean, I thought the feelings between Kyle and I were mutual--strictly platonic…I mean, I--well, I'm such an idiot! I should've--"

"Lorie, Lorie," Remus interrupted. "Calm down and breathe. Lorie, take a deep breath." 

She obeyed.

"Listen, it's okay. I saw what happened and I know that you don't like him, okay? From now on just be careful around him. I know that you can take care of yourself, but just…just be alert. And you are not an idiot. A bit too trustworthy--yes, but definitely not an idiot."

Lorie was fiddling with her hands and looking at her feet the entire time, blushing. "So you're not mad?" she asked in a small voice.

"There's no reason for me to be."

Lorie smiled and hugged Remus. Then something dawned on her and she pulled back. "Wait a minute," she said, looking questionably at Remus. "If you were here all that time, then why didn't you do anything?"

It was Remus's turn to blush. "I er…I wanted to see if…if you could handle things yourself. You know, incase…incase something er…"

"You're lying. You…you were trying to see if you could trust me or not, weren't you?"

"Well, I…er…"

"I can't believe you!" Lorie, looking incredibly hurt, brushed pass Remus and walked into the kitchen.

Remus sighed and followed her. "Lorie--"

But she just ignored him and took an apple from the fruit basket, then walked back to the living room. Remus grabbed her wrist and dragged her over to the couch, making her drop her apple on the way. He pulled her down and held on to her hands.

"Lorie…it's not that I don't trust you, because I do. It's just…well, I feel a bit…a bit insecure. I-I…back at Hogwarts, I used to date this girl. And well…she broke up with me when she found out…found out my condition."

"Remus, I thought you know that I don't care about that."

"I know, I know. It's not just that. It's also…well, look at you! I mean, you're pretty…you're intelligent…you're kind…you're perfect. And I don't…I'm afraid of losing you."

"I love you, Remus. And no one can change that. Not Kyle…not anybody. So don't worry about losing me. Because you won't." 

Remus leaned in and kissed her. Lorie smiled. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "I can make us a couple of sandwiches."

"Sure."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Debbie's Point of View)

Debbie walked into her apartment and saw a guy sitting on her couch. He didn't seem to notice her. Debbie walked back outside to make sure that it was the right apartment. It was. She walked back in and observed the guy cautiously.

"Hello?" she said.

"Oh hi," the guy said.

"I'm sorry, but are you in the right apartment? Because I'm pretty sure I am, unless I just wandered into an alternate universe or something. But that wouldn't really make sense, because I don't see any giant worms."

"Er…"

"Wait. Who are you anyways?"

"I'm--"

"Here you go, Remus," Lorie said, coming out of the kitchen and setting a plate of sandwiches in front of Remus. "Oh hey Debbie. This is my roommate Debbie, Remus. And Debs, this is my boyfriend, Remus."

"Oh!" Debbie said. "So you're Mr. I'm-The-Oh-So-Sweet-Boyfriend-That-Writes-To-His-Girlfriend-Everyday-Making-Her-Roommate-Feel-Incredibly-Jealous-And-Pathetic."

"Er…" he glanced at Lorie. She just smiled. "I guess," he said. Remus held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's mine," Debbie said, shaking his hand. "Oh, an I'm sorry about the giant worms thing."

"What 'giant worms thing'?" Lorie asked.

"Well, I'd tell you, but then I'd have to hex you."

"Right." Lorie turned to Remus, who looked a little stunned. "Don't mind her," she said. "She's a bit abnormal."

"I resent that," Debbie said.

"Whatever. You want to join us? We're just going to eat a couple of these." She pointed to the food.

"I would, but I don't think that you honestly want me here, disrupting you two."

"You sure? We don't mind."

"It's all right. I'll be in my room if you need me."

"Bye."

Once she disappeared, Remus whispered, "What do you mean 'we don't mind'? That girl's a nutcase!"

Lorie giggled. "She is not! Debbie's just a bit…well, different. But she's really nice."

"Right…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: I'm sorry! *Ducks tomatoes* I know this chapter stinks, but I'll try to get a better one up soon, okay? Please review.


	38. Something To Tell

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you all my reviewers. You guys are wonderful.

****

To Amiee: Right now!!

I'm going to start to work on a new story. I won't be posting it until this one is over though (which I'm hoping will be soon).

Chapter 38

One morning, James woke up and noticed that Lily was still sleeping. *That's weird,* he thought. Lily had always woken up before him. James glanced at the clock on the bedside and realized that it was pretty late already.

"Lily," he said, shaking her gently. "Lily, wake up."

"Hmm?" she said, turning on her side.

"Lily, honey, wake up. You're going to be late for work."

"Mmm…what time is it?"

"It's eight forty-five, Lily."

"Oh…" Lily yawned and drifted back to sleep.

"Lily, are you okay?" James said worriedly, shaking Lily awake again. "You're scaring me."

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. I'll get up. I'm just a bit…I don't know." She tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn't support her weight. Lily sat down next to James on the bed. "I'm feeling unusually tired."

"Maybe you should stay home today," James said.

"No…no. It's okay. I can manage."

James placed his palm on Lily's forehead. "You're slightly burning up," he said. "Stay in bed."

"James, that's silly. I'm not a baby, I can take care of myself, okay? I'm feeling nothing, but a little head--" Lily suddenly felt her dinner coming up, so she ran to the bathroom and locked the door.

James walked to the bathroom door and could tell that it wasn't pretty on the other side. "Are you all right, Lily?" The sound of Lily vomiting was the reply. Lily came out a few minutes later, looking very sick.

"I feel awful, James," she said.

James hugged her comfortingly, and said, "Was it something you ate last night?"

"Well, I ate everything you ate, and you're perfectly fine."

"Maybe it's because I'm stronger."

"Maybe…" Lily said uncertainly.

"Listen, you stay at home today and don't get out of bed. Missing one day of work won't kill you. Now, I'm going to go shower then leave for work. I'll make you some soup before I do though, okay?"

"Okay, but James?"

"Yeah?"

"Let me use bathroom one more time." Lily quickly ran into it again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*How do I tell him? How do I tell him?* thought Lily frantically. She was pacing her bedroom, wringing her hands. *Wait. I can't tell him! I don't know how he'll react. What if…what if he doesn't want it? Oh god…*

"Lily?" James called. "I'm home."

"Hi James…" Lily said awkwardly, coming out to greet her husband.

"How are you feeling?" James asked.

"Er…okay."

"Are you sure? You don't seem normal."

"I er…I have something to tell you, James."

"Okay, shoot."

"Well…I went out today…"

"Lily! You were supposed to stay home!"

"I know, I know, James. But I went to St. Mungo's."

"Oh. Well, is everything all right?"

"Er…I'm not sure."

"You're not sick or something, are you?"

"No…no. Nothing like that. It's just…" *Just tell him! He's your husband. He'll understand…but what if he doesn't?* "Never mind," Lily said. "I have nothing to say. How was your day? I made dinner, let's eat." Lily made for the kitchen, but James caught her wrist. He eyed her suspiciously.

"I know you have something to tell, Lily," he said.

"N-no, I don't."

"Come on, Lils. You know you can tell me anything."

"I…I don't know. I'm afraid of what you might say."

"Tell me, Lily."

"Well, all right. James, I'm er…I'm…. Well, I…"

"You're…" James prompted her.

"I'm…"

"You're…"

"I'm er…"

"Lily!"

"Okay, okay." Lily took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "James, I'm pregnant." When James didn't say anything, Lily inhaled deeply again and popped her eyes open. James was just staring at her, mouth opening and closing wordlessly.

"J-James?" Lily said. 

"What did you say, Lils?"

"Er…'James'?"

"No, no. Before that."

"Oh. I'm…er…pregnant?"

"A-are you serious?"

Lily nodded.

"I need to sit down," James said, sitting down on the couch.

Lily frowned. "James, if you don't want to have a baby you can just tell me, you know," Lily said angrily.

"No, no," James said hurriedly. "Lily, it's not that. I'm just a bit shock, that's all."

"Oh. Well, are you, you know, happy?"

"Am I happy?" James asked, standing up.

"Y-yeah?"

"Of course I'm happy!" James roared, picking Lily up and twirling her around. Lily laughed.

"We're going to have a baby!" she cried. Lily smiled happily. They sat down on the couch together. James, grinning like an idiot, rubbed Lily's stomach and held his head to it. "Hello there, little Vanessa or Harry James," he said.

"Don't be silly, James," Lily said laughing. "The baby can't hear you yet."

"Oh, that reminds me," James said, lifting his head and looking at Lily. "How long have you been pregnant?"

"Around three weeks," Lily said.

"Oh…" James said. Then he grinned. "Well, that certainly explains a lot."

"What do you mean?" Lily said, narrowing her eyes. "Are you saying that I'm fat?"

James laughed. "No! It's just…well, remember that fight we had? And all your other little mood swings?"

"Are you blaming me for that fight?"

"No! C'mon, Lily!"

Lily fumed a bit, but laughed at James's desperate look. "I see what you mean," she said, giggling.

James laughed too. "But, Lily!" he said, getting serious. "I can't believe it! We're going to have a baby! I'm going to be a father!"

Lily smiled. "And I'm going to be a mother!"

"You'll make a wonderful mommy," James said, picturing her rocking a baby in her arms.

"Thanks. You'll make a great daddy too. Well, just as long as you don't teach him any of that pranking stuff."

James looked shock. "Of course I am! Ooh, wait till Sirius know!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Please review. 


	39. Mini Sirius

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you all my reviewers. You guys are wonderful.

****

To Trina Casey: Hey there! Of course I remember you! Yes, I think that broke the record for the longest review in fan fiction history. First of all, thank you so much. I love all your little comments; they were very entertaining. Thank you for your suggestions of the author's notes thing too. I will try to do that from now on. As for the tiny criticisms, I do not mind it at all. I love constructive criticisms. I know what you mean about the love scenes too. Some of them are very cheesy and others are very awkward. I will try to improve. I don't think I can read all those books though, because you suggested so much! But I will look out for them the next time I'm in a bookstore or library. And yeah, I'm more satisfied with this story than the other. I think that's because the other was my first, and I wasn't really experienced. Plus, I've had a lot feedbacks and help on this one (thanks to my beta. I really think she did a splendid job.) Overall, thank you for that review. You've helped a lot. I'm looking forward to hear more from you. Oh and by the way, I thought that I handle Alexandra Black pretty well too. And yeah, you can have the poems. They aren't mines to begin with. = )

To Jamesweetie4eva: Of course I'm still interested in being your beta. I just hope that you still want me as your beta. As I've said before, my spelling is pretty good, but my grammar is…let's just say--it's okay, but more to the bad side. Lol.

****

To Kat: It's sort of hard to explain. The pairing's James/Lily…and it's told through James's point of view. It's titled "Those Three Words" and well…it's hard to say without spoiling anything…. So, I'll just let you find out on your own, okay? = )

Chapter 39

Bella had been lingering on it for quite awhile now. She knew the answer. But she just had to ask it.

"Sirius?"

"Yeah?" 

"D-do you…do you ever, you know, think about…about marriage?" Bella said the last part very quickly and blushed.

Sirius laughed. "Marriage?"

"Well, yeah."

He snorted. "No, why would I?"

"Oh…. N-no reason. I was just wondering."

"Oh. Well, I mean we're still young! Fresh out of school! Well, not so fresh anymore, but you know what I mean. Why bother with marriage now?"

"Y-you're right. I was just wondering…" Bella walked into her room. She grabbed the plush penguin that Sirius had won for her and fell into her bed with it.

"I knew it…" she said pathetically to it. "Why did I bother asking? Because I thought that…that there's a small chance of him saying yes… Stupid huh?" She made the penguin nod. Bella sighed. "Well, I still have you…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James and Lily apparated with a _crack!_ inside of Sirius's apartment. 

"Hey!" Sirius said. "What's up?"

"We have something to tell you," James said, grinning. He hasn't stop since Lily told him yesterday night.

"But where's Bella?" Lily asked.

"She's in her room," Sirius said. 

"Oh. Well, I want to tell her alone. You know, woman to woman." She went to find Bella.

"So what's the big news?" Sirius asked James.

"I'm going to have a baby!" James said.

Sirius's eyes widened. "Really?" he said.

"Yeah."

"With who?"

James slapped Sirius upside his head. "Lily, you moron! Who else?"

Sirius laughed. "I was just kidding."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey Bella," Lily said, closing the door.

"Lily!" Bella cried. "When did you get here?"

"Just now…. Listen, I have something to tell you."

"Okay."

"I'm pregnant!" Lily whispered.

"Oh my gosh!" Bella squealed, hugging her friend. "Congratulations, Lily! I'm so happy for you!"

"I'm happy too," Lily said, sighing happily.

"When did you find out? How long have you been pregnant?"

"Well, I found out that I've been around three weeks pregnant yesterday."

"Wow. Hey, did you eat anything yet?"

"No, why?"

"Lily, you're containing another life! You need to eat for the baby."

"Oh."

"C'mon."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So, did you guys pick names for the baby yet?" Bella asked over lunch.

"Yeah," James answered. "If it's a girl, we're going to name her Vanessa."

"Vanessa Potter…" Sirius considered it. "I like it."

"What if it's a boy?" Bella asked.

"Well--" Lily began.

"I wanted James Junior," James cut in.

"James Junior?" Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Yup," James said.

"You're kidding right?" Sirius asked. "James Junior?"

"For your information," James said indignantly, "James Junior is a very good name!"

"But Sirius Junior is better! No wait--Mini Sirius!"

"No way!" said James, Lily, and Bella.

"Anyways," Lily said, "As I was saying, the baby will be named Harry James if it's a boy."

"That's nice," Bella said. "Oh, did you tell Lorie or Remus yet?"

"No, I forgot. Let me do it now. Can I borrow some parchments?" 

"Sure. Let's go."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Ooh, I can't believe it!" Lorie said. "Lily and James are having a baby!"

"Yeah, I know," Remus said. "Listen Lorie, I should be getting back."

"What? No…stay a couple of more days."

"I want to, said Remus, sighing. "But I can't. I've been missing work for a couple of days already; I can't afford to miss any more."

"Aw…but I'll miss you too much."

"Me too. But I really got to go."

"All right," Lorie said. "Tell Lily and James congratulations for me, all right?"

"Okay." He kissed her. "Bye."

After Remus left, Lorie wandered into her room. Something shiny on her bed caught her eye. It was a silver necklace with a crescent moon charm. There was a note attached to it. Lorie read it and smiled. _I'll always love you._

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Ugh. I don't like this chapter. But it is somewhat important. *Sighs* Please review. Oh and by the way, that whole Sirius and Bella thing at the beginning…well, never mind. I don't want to spoil anything. 


	40. You Will Regret It

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. You guys rocks!

Okay, wow. It's chapter forty already. I can't believe it.

To Brittny: I did read it! But it said I couldn't review because I've reviewed that chapter before. I think that's because you replaced your note with it, and I reviewed for your note or something. I don't know if that made sense, but I assure you, I did read it. You did a splendid job.

Chapter 40

One afternoon, Sirius walked into Remus's room. He found Remus sitting at his desk.

"Hey Moony," he said. "What're you doing?"

"Writing to Lorie," Remus replied. "What do you want?"

"Oh. I just wanna talk."

"Okay, hold on."

Sirius sat down on the bed and waited impatiently. "Hurry up," he said. "Lorie can wait."

Remus turned and glared at him.

"All right, all right," Sirius said. "Just hurry."

Remus finished up and owled it away. "Okay, Padfoot. Whacha wanna talk 'bout?"

"Bella," said Sirius. "She's been acting weird lately…ever since the marriage thingy."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "What 'marriage thingy'?"

"Oh yeah. You were in states at the time. Well, Bella asked me if I ever think about marriage."

"And what did you say?"

"Told her no. That we're too young. You know, should enjoy life and everything."

"What was her reaction?"  


"She said I was right."

"Ah…and did you think she meant it?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I am."

"Right…and you think that she's been acting peculiar ever since?"

"Yeah…I mean, she's suddenly so cheerful about everything. It's so…fake."

"You ever thought about _why_ she asked you the 'marriage thingy'?"

"Er…honestly, no."

Remus shook his head. "Maybe she's giving you a hint."

"What? You're saying that she wants to get married or something?"

"Use your brain, Padfoot. That is, if it hasn't expired already."

Sirius whacked Remus with a pillow and left.

*Is this what Bella wants?* he thought. Well, if it is, then why didn't she just say so when he asked her? Sirius went to Bella's room. He found her sitting at her desk too.

"Hey Bella," he said, sitting on her bed. "What are you doing?"

"Finishing up some stuff for Witch Weekly," Bella said. She looked up at Sirius and smiled. "What's up?"

"There's something I want to ask you."

Bella put down her quill and sat next to Sirius. "Okay, shoot."

"Do you want to get married?"

Bella looked stunned. She stared into Sirius's eyes intently, before she replied firmly, "No."

"Are you sure? Bella, if marriage is what you want then let's get married."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not what _you_ want."

"What?"

"I know you, Sirius," Bella said, looking down at her feet.

"Then you should know that I'd do anything to make you happy."

"But you wouldn't be happy. And if you're not, then neither am I."

"Bella--"

"Listen, Sirius. I know that if we get married, you'll regret it later. You might not say it and you might not show it, but you _will_ regret it. And you know what? Not getting married is fine with me. It seriously is. Having you here is enough, okay? Being with you makes me happy. That's all I need. Besides, you were right. We're too young anyways. I'm going to make lunch." She kissed Sirius and left.

Bella let a tear slid down her cheek as she entered the kitchen. *You did the right thing,* she said to herself.

Meanwhile, Sirius remained in Bella's room, unable to move. Bella's words were still sinking in. _You might not say it and you might not show it, but you will regret it_. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lily and James had invited Sirius, Bella, Peter, and Remus to dinner. They were all hanging in the living room. Well, everybody minus Remus. He had stayed behind at work, because the Minister had wanted to talk to him. 

Everybody was chatting merrily, when Remus walked in angrily.

"What's wrong Moony?" James asked.

Remus murmured something inaudibly. 

"What?"

"I got fired," he said, sitting down.

"What??" Everyone in the room (well, except for Remus, of course) cried.

"What happened?" Lily asked.

"The Undersecretary to the Minister, Dolores Umbridge, passed a new decree against werewolves," Remus said sighing. (a/n: it was mentioned somewhere in the fifth book, but I forgot what it was exactly.)

"Oh my gosh," Bella said. "Why would she do that?"

"The woman's against half-breeds. So now, I'm workless."

"So what're going to do now?" Sirius asked.

"Dunno yet. Think I'm gonna do a bit of traveling. Can't get a job here, so I might as well go look somewhere else."

"Oh."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Wasn't sure how to end this chapter. *Sighs* Please review.


	41. A Bit Silly

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. You guys rocks!

To She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named: Thank you so much, She-Who-I-Can't-Name! I love your review. It was very helpful. Yes, you can quote me on the "fluffy chapters" thing. When I think of sappy romance, "fluffy" is the only term that I could come up with. I see what you meant about being more descriptive. I wished I had thought of the sentence you wrote. *Sighs* So typical me. But I think I'd rather triple the size of my story than having sucky chapters. Well here goes: "My fan fic is...it's NOT awesome! I can't say it...*sniff, sniff* All right, I'll try again: My fan fic is...is awe--is awesome! I said it! My fan fic is awesome!" But we all know I'm just lying. *Sighs and hangs head in shame*

To Kat: No, it wasn't after he became a professor. He quitted teaching because he thought he was dangerous to the students or whatever (and because of what Snape said). Umbridge passed the decree against werewolves before James and Lily died. Well, at least that's what I think the book said. *Sighs* Whatever…

Sorry it took forever for me to update. I've had major writer's block… And, er, I've been a bit lazy lately. Plus, I'm looking for ways to end this story soon! I've already got plans for the final chapter. Now I just need stuff to go in between…

Chapter 41 (Whoa…)

"Jamesie…" Lily whined to her husband. She was standing in front of her full-length mirror, observing her stomach. It was rather large, as Lily was about five months into her pregnancy. (Remus had left a few months earlier to travel the country, in hope of finding a new job. His letters told them that he wasn't having much luck.)

"What, honey?" James asked lazily from his position on their bed.

"Look at me! I'm gigantic!"

"Lily--"

"I look horrible! So big, fat, and…and--ugly!"

"Lily, you are _not_ ugly!"

Lily turned around and faced James. "So you admit I'm big and fat, right?"

"I never--"

"Oh this is just dandy, James! I bear your child and all you can do is criticize!"

"But I--"

"I know--you're probably having an affair with someone else!"

"What? Lily, that's--"

"She's probably young, and smart, and pretty, and _thin_. You're probably out with her everyday instead of going to work!"

"Lily--"

"Well, you know what? I don't have to have this child you know! The baby's as much mine as yours, but if you don't want it, then why don't I just get it aborted!"

"What?? Don't, Lily, I--"

"No! You know what? No! This baby is mine too. I'll raise it as a single parent."

"You--"

"And when little Vanessa or Harry ask, 'Where's daddy?', I'm going to say, 'He's out with some other lady right now'."

"Lily, you're--"

"And when little Vanessa or Harry ask, 'Well, who's daddy, anyways?', I'll say, 'He's an inconsiderate, jerk, scum-of-the-Earth fool who left your mother!'" Lily was practically hysterical now.

"Lily, SHUT UP!!" James shouted.

Lily sat down on the bed next to her husband and looked at him with watery eyes. "You don't have to yell, you know."

"Lily, you are blowing things _way_ out of proportion! Look, you are not big, fat, _or_ ugly, okay? And I am not, nor will I ever, have an affair with someone else, okay? Nobody can ever replace you. And I love our baby, okay? We'll raise him or her together. We'll be one big, happy--well, actually, not so big--but happy, nonetheless, family."

Lily laughed and hugged James. "I'm sorry," she said into his chest. "You're right. I was being silly, making a big deal out of nothing like that."

James smiled. "It's all right," he said.

Lily laughed again.

"What?" James asked, amused.

"Nothing, really."

"Come on, tell me!"

"Well, I just realized what I had said earlier and it was, er, a bit silly." Lily giggled.

James thought about it. _"And when little Vanessa or Harry ask, 'Well, who's daddy, anyways?', I'll say, 'He's an inconsiderate, jerk, scum-of-the-Earth fool who left your mother!'" _He laughed too.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Yes, yes. Short chapter, I know. Sorry. Please review anyways. 


	42. Men Are Idiots

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ: All right, people. You might think that I'm rushing things, but I REALLY want to get this fic over with. So, I'm going to get Lily's pregnancy over with, okay?

Oh, and I'm sorry this chapter took awhile. I wasn't lazy, I promise! Well, maybe a bit, but the _real _**reason it's late is because I've been so psyche with my new Lily and James story! You can forgive a girl for that, right?**

Chapter 42

The baby was due any day now. A few months earlier, Lily had found out that it would be a boy. James was beyond ecstatic. He and Sirius began to write down pranks ideas to teach Harry. ("No, no. We did that one already!"-- "The Slytherins will be ruined!" -- "Too bad Filch confiscated the map.")

At that moment, Lily and Bella had just returned home from shopping, their bags filled with cute baby clothes.

"Help me put the bags in the baby's room, Bella?" Lily asked.

"Sure."

"Great. I'll get us some tea."

Bella put the clothes into the closet and came into the kitchen to find Lily at the table with two cups of tea.

"So what's going on at work?" Lily asked. James had made her stop working a few weeks earlier. Lily put up a fight, but James had insisted. Plus, he bought her a big jar of pickles and a huge carton of ice cream.

"Nothing much, really," said Bella, sipping her tea. "Everybody misses you, though."

"Ah…I miss them too. I hate not working. It's so boring at home…. So what's going on with you and Sirius?"

Bella put down her cup. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. Come on, Bella. I'm your best friend. I can tell something is wrong."

"Everything's fine, Lily. Really."

"You sure?"

"Uh huh."

"All right. Hey, I'm in the mood for some ice cream. You want some?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Go sit in the living room, or something. I'll be out with some ice cream right away."

"Why don't you sit down? I can get it."

"Nah. I'll get it. I can use the exercise."

"Well, what's the point of getting the exercise if you're going to eat ice cream afterwards?"

"Oh, shut up. Wait, now I want some pickles. But ice cream is good too. I know, I'll get us both, okay? 'Kay."

Bella laughed and left the kitchen. She flopped down on the couch and picked up a copy of _Witch Weekly_. She leafed through it and stopped at a short article called _Men Are Idiots and Have Always Been. _(A/N: Sorry if any guys are reading this and are offended, but hey, this is a chick magazine. Plus, men _are _idiots.) 

For eons, men have been idiots. Big idiots. They simply just don't listen. Now, that's just the majority. There are a small number of men who are actually considerate. This is rare though. Very rare. So if you are lucky enough to find one, hold on tight and don't take him for granted. As for the rest of you ladies who have to deal with the idiots, here are some tips on what to do. 

Bella was halfway through the amusing piece, when--

"BELLA!" came Lily's voice.

Bella rushed to the kitchen and saw Lily leaning against the oven. She was extremely pale and sweating a lot. Bella rushed to her friend's side at once.

"Lily, what's wrong?"

"M-my water broke," Lily managed.

"Oh my gosh!" Bella panicked. "Erm…er…we need to get you to St. Mungo's quick!"

"J-James," Lily said. 

"What?"

"G-get James."

"I'll get him later; we need to get you to the hospital now."

"But James--"

"Lily, I promise I'll get him as soon as you're settled, okay?"

"'K-kay."

"All right. Er…er…oh gosh! Well, erm…can you apparate?"

"I-I don't know. I c-can try."

"Good. Good. Let's just hope you'll get there in one piece."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Sorry! *Ducks rotten vegetables* I'm so sorry! I know this is mega short, but…. I hope the next chapter is a bit better. Please review.


	43. Your Handsome Father

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros and a whole lot of other companies and people, but certainly not me. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: I want to thank everybody for your wonderful reviews! I'm grinning like an idiot at the moment, because your reviews were so nice! Thank you so much. And guess what? It's near midnight right now, but I'm still typing this for you guys.

LilyChica378: Thank you so much. It's not everyday that I get called talented. Your review completed my day.

KAREN: Wow. You flatter me. *Giggles and blushes*

Aus: Mmm…pie…save me some?

Jamesweetie4eva: Thanks. Hey--when are you going to email me your chapter?

To Brittny: Cool. I'll be looking forward to it.

To Erynwen: Thanks for the compliments. I want to end it because I'm anxious to post my new one!

To Lara Potter: My fic is awesome! Lol. I'm just kidding. Er, yeah. I want this story over with because I want to post my new one.

To Kat44: Yes! I am making another James and Lily story! I'm not just being lazy! Look below.

I know I haven't been updating as frequently as usual. I'm sorry. It's just that I've been working on my new James and Lily story. I want to make it as well as I could. I mean, "I Knew I Loved You" was my first story, so it has many flaws (I'm considering to revise it, but I'm a bit lazy). "I'll Always Love You" is my second story. Most of it is un-betaed, so there're quite a lot mistakes too. "Those Three Words" has much less mistakes, so I'm pretty satisfied with it. But I want this new one to be really good. Of course, it won't be perfect, because nothing is, but it can come close, right? Right. So anyways, the point of this paragraph is that please don't hate me for the lack of updates. I'm working on a new treat for you! I'd tell you what it is now, but then it'll ruin the surprise. So I promise I'll give you a little teaser at the end of this story (which is soon). That'll prove that I _have_ indeed been working, and it's not just an excuse for me to be lazy.

Important: Okay, I've only been in a delivery room once, and that was when I was born. Of course, I don't remember a thing. Therefore, I have no knowledge on how to write this chapter realistically. I'll just write it to the best that I can, okay? I'm giving you my best effort here. So please excuse me if I got some things wrong, 'kay? 

Chapter 43

"Bella!" Lily cried, settling down on the bed in the delivery room.

"What, Lily?" Bella answered anxiously.

"Did y-you get James yet?"

"Er…I'll get him now!"

"H-hurry!"

Bella rushed out of the room and ran down the hall. She stopped a medi-witch from walking. "E-excuse me," Bella panted. "Where is the…where is the nearest f-fireplace?"

"Er--down the rest of the hall, turn right, and you should find the room with--"

"Wait." Something suddenly dawned on Bella. "I can apparate!" She slapped her forehead, muttered something about wasting time, and disappeared.

The medi-witch shook her head. "Mentally unbalanced, that one…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Crack.

Bella appeared inside the Aurors' office.

"Bella?" Sirius asked, looking confused. "What are you doing here?"

"J-James," she said. "Where is James?"

"Right here," came a voice from behind her. "What's up?"

"Lily--water broke--hospital--contractions…"

"What?"

"Lily's in labor, you moron!" Sirius said.

It took James a moment to let the information sink in. "Oh," he said stupidly. Then he panicked. "Shit, what are we still doing here, then?!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"God, damn it!" Lily yelled. "Where the hell is my bloody husband?!" She cried out in pain. "Stupid git!"

"Lily!" James said, appearing from behind the door. He rushed to her side. "Are you okay?"

"Damn it, James," Lily said angrily. "You were almost late! What the hell kept you??"

"I'm sorry! It was--well--actually…Er, that's not important right now. Are you okay?"

"Do I look it, James?" 

"Er…that was rhetorical, right?"

Lily screamed again, and grabbed onto her husband's hand.

"Ow!" James cried, pulling his hand away. There were deep fingernail marks. "Jesus, Lily!"

"You can't possibly imagine how much it hurts me right now, James," Lily muttered. "That was just one-tenth of the pain I'm feeling. If I have to go through this, then I'm not going to do it alone."

"Okay, okay," James said, giving his hand to his wife. "I just wish you have less sharp nails."

Lily glared at him.

"Sorry," he said. James wiped her pale and sweaty forehead with a washcloth nearby. "Come on, Lily," he continued in a soothing voice. "You can do it."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"How do you think it's going in there?" Bella asked Sirius nervously. Just then, Lily screamed yet again, and James cried, "Ouch!"

"Pretty well," Sirius said, grinning.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Many hours later, after hearing a lot of screaming and cussing from Lily, and ouch-ing and swearing from James, Sirius and Bella finally heard the sound of a baby crying. James came out with a gigantic grin on his face.

"Well?" Sirius and Bella asked curiously.

"I'm a father!" James said happily.

"Well, duh," Sirius said. "Is the baby a boy or girl?"

"Is it okay?" Bella asked. "Is Lily okay?"

"Both Lily and Harry are perfectly healthy," James said proudly.

"Harry?" Sirius grinned too. "Then it's a boy, right?"

"No," Bella said sarcastically. "It's a bunny." She turned to James. "Can we see 'em?"

"Yeah, sure."

Lily was lying on the bed, her back against the wall. In her arms was what looked like a bundle of blanket. Lily looked exhausted, yet happy--very happy. She looked up as Bella and Sirius entered with James.

"Hey," she greeted them.

"Hello, Lily," Bella said. "How are you feeling?"

"Great."

"Can I hold the baby?" Sirius asked excitedly. "Can I? Can I? Please? Can I, please??"

Lily laughed. "Yeah." She handed Harry over carefully.

"Ooh…" Sirius said. Little Harry had his eyes shut tightly and was sleeping peacefully. "He's going look just like his father."

"Oh Lord!" Lily said, laughing.

"There's nothing wrong with Harry getting his father's good looks," James said indignantly.

Everybody started coughing mockingly. 

"Yeah, yeah," James said, smiling. He took the baby from Sirius. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with looking like your handsome dad, right? Right, Harry? Yep. You're Harry James Potter, son of the charming and irresistible James Potter--of course, you're going to look good!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Yeah. So--er--it wasn't all that bad, was it? Tell me in a review. 


	44. Daddy Is Stupid

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros and a whole lot of other companies and people, but certainly not me. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing! You guys are awesome…

Sami Potter: You cried?? Whoa…

Brittny: Good suggestion. I don't think I'll use it, though; sorry. Tell me when you update your story, 'kay?

Karen: I'm blushing like mad right now. I look like a clothed-tomato with hair. Haha. Wow…you sure know the right things to say. I'm so flattered right. You're officially my new angel. = )

I want to thank everybody who said that they're looking forward to reading my new story! You guys can't imagine how happy you've made me! I'm working really hard to perfect it right now. I've got a prologue and one chapter done so far. I'll send it to my beta-reader as soon as this story is over. I'm pretty proud of it; I think it's going to turn out well.

I know that I've been rushing, but you guys can understand that I want to get this over with, right? Please tolerate me.

Sorry this chapter took a while. I've had a bit of a writer's block. *Sighs*

Chapter 44

A year had gone by quickly. Harry James Potter was going to turn one year old today. His mother was dressing him up, while his father was outside in the backyard, entertaining the guests. All of their friends had stopped by, even Remus and Lorie.

"All right, Harry," Lily cooed. "You look so handsome! Just like a big boy, Harry." Little Harry giggled. Lily smiled and kissed her son's forehead. She observed his hair. It was exactly like his dad's…except for the fact that Harry had less hair.

"Hrmp!" Lily sighed, frustrated. She grabbed a comb and tried to flatten Harry's hair. It was useless. Lily sighed yet again. "You know, when your dad said you'd inherit his good looks, he didn't mention anything about his oh-so-wonderful hair. Oh well. Let's go, Harry. Mummy's going to get you some cake." 

Lily carried Harry out to the backyard.

"Oh!" Lorie cried, walking over to them. "Harry looks absolutely adorable!"

Lily smiled. "Say thank you, Harry." Harry giggled. Lily shrugged.

"Does he talk?" Remus asked, walking up to them, accompanied by Peter.

"Not yet," Lily said, sighing. "We've been pushing him for weeks, but--nothing yet. I mean, we think he can--it's just that he doesn't want to."

"Presents!" Sirius said, as he, James and Bella joined them. "Here you go, Harry!" Sirius handed Harry a rather small and light box. Harry opened it slowly with the help of James. It was a toy broomstick and plush snitch.

"Wow!" James said, his eyes grazing over the miniature broomstick. He held up the snitch to Harry. "This is a snitch, Harry." Harry took it from his father.

"Snit!" Harry said.

"Oh!" Lily cried, bending down and hugging her son. "Harry said his first word! But--but…"

"But what?" Bella asked.

"I expected him to say 'Mum' or 'Dad'. Not…'snitch'. Well, actually 'snit'." Lily turned back to her son. "Harry, say 'Mum'."

"Snit!"

"'Mum', Harry. 'Mummy'."

"Snit!"

"Let me try, Lily," James said. "Harry, say 'Dad'."

"Da!"

James smiled and ruffled Harry's hair. "Good boy." He smirked at his wife. Lily frowned. She pushed James aside and squatted down to Harry's level. "Harry, if you can say this, Mummy's going to get you some cake, 'kay? Say, 'Daddy is stupid."

Harry giggled. "Da-da?"

"'Stupid', Harry. 'Daddy is stupid.'"

"Da-da…too-pit!"

"Hey!" James cried, while everybody else laughed. "That was harsh, Lily."

Lily smiled innocently back. "Come on, Harry. Let's go get the cake I promised you."

For the rest of the party, they ate cake, opened presents, and cooed over Harry. Then, Dumbledore and McGonagall showed up.

"Professors!" James greeted them.

"Hello, James." And the exchange of "hi's", "hello's", and "how do you do?'s" began.

"Would you like some cake, Professors?" Lily offered.

"No, thanks, Lily," McGonagall replied. 

"We're actually here because of some bad news," Dumbledore said.

"Bad news?" 

"Yes. Do you and James want to go somewhere more private?" Dumbledore quickly glanced at the guests.

Lily shook her head. "These are all our close friends," she said. "I'm sure whatever it is, we can discuss in front of them." James nodded in agreement.

"Well, all right," Dumbledore said. "But maybe you should sit down."

Confused looks were all around, but they each grabbed a seat.

"What's wrong, Professor?" Remus asked.

"A personal spy of mine had recently informed me that Voldemort is after…Harry."

Bella and Lorie gasped, and covered their mouths with their hands. Lily picked Harry, who was playing with his toy snitch on the grass, up and hugged him tight, tears stinging her eyes.

"W-why?" James asked finally.

"A prophecy was made, and Voldemort is probably concern that your son may be his downfall."

"What should we do?" Lily whispered.

"I'd suggest that you go into hiding."

"Is that enough?" James asked. "I mean, Voldemort isn't exactly the easiest person to hide from."

"Your best chance right now, James, is to find a new house and perform the Fidelius Charm."

"Ooh!" Bella suddenly cried. "I saw this advertisement in the paper. There's a pretty decent house in Godric's Hollow."

"Good," Dumbledore said. "And who would you like to be your Secret-Keeper? I'd be happy to do it, if you like."

"We couldn't possibly ask you that, Professor," Lily said.

"I want Sirius to be the Secret-Keeper," James added.

"Are you sure?"

"Positively." James turned to Sirius. "That is, if you want to."

"Anything to help you, Prongs. I'd rather die than betray you."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: I wasn't really sure how to right this chapter. I'm not sure if it turned out all right or not, but it's the best that I've got. Please review.


	45. I'll Always Love You

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this fan fiction belongs to me. They're owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros and a whole lot of other companies and people, but certainly not me. The only ones that belong to me are those that you don't recognize.

A/N: Thank you for reviewing. You guys absolutely, positively rocks.

Chapter 45

Two weeks had passed by before anybody realized it. Lorie had gone back to the states, and Remus had gone with her, hoping to find a temporary job--at least that was his excuse. The Potters had already moved into the "decent house" in Godric's Hollow. As for Sirius and Bella…

"We've decided to see other people," Bella said quietly. She and Lily were out shopping, leaving Harry at home with his father.

"_What?_" Lily asked, grabbing Bella's arm. "You're joking, right?"

Bella shook her head. "Erm, no. I'm not."

"What happened?"

"Nothing, really. It's just--so many things are happening, and…and things change…"

"But…but…you guys--I mean…"

"Look, Lily. We still love each other. We really do. It's just…I don't know how to explain it. When we first started to go out…I'd never imagine that it'd get this serious. And Sirius agrees too. But it did. It did got serious--and it was a good thing. Believe me…" Bella sighed dramatically. "It was good while it lasted. But now…with Voldemort after you guys…and everything else that's happening--I don't know. It's…it's just awkward."

Lily nodded sadly. She understood. It was a complicated situation, but she understood, nonetheless. "So you guys are really over?"

Bella shrugged. "You know, I'm not really sure. We just decided to break things off. I don't know if it's forever or not, but…"

Lily hugged her friend. "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay. Really," she added, after seeing Lily's skeptical expression. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James and Lily were sitting in their new living room, waiting for Sirius to come over so they could perform the Fidelius Charm. Sirius apparated in with Peter.

"Hey Padfoot," James greeted him. "And Peter? What are you doing here?"

Sirius cast a sideway glance at Peter before clearing his throat. "Well, Prongs, I thought that Peter, here, should be your Secret-Keeper."

"Why?" Lily asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing. It's just, if Voldemort found out that we are using the Fidelius Charm, the first person he would expect to be your Secret-Keeper would be me, right?"

James and Lily nodded.

"Well, this is where Peter comes in. I mean, Voldemort would never think that you'd use Peter--no offence, Wormtail."

"N-none taken."

"Well, I guess you're right," James said slowly. He looked at Lily. "What do you think?"

Lily looked a bit worried, but agreed. "We should tell Remus and Dumbledore."

"Wait Lily," Sirius said. "Not that I don't trust Dumbledore, but the less people know about this--the better."

"What about Remus?"

"Well…I think he may be a spy."

Lily gasped. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, he's been disappearing for months, looking for a so-called "job." I mean, he could've been with Voldemort the entire time."

"I can't imagine Remus betraying us," Lily said, shaking her head. "I just can't. I mean, he's _Remus._"

"I can't either," Sirius said. "But, these days--who knows?"

"R-right," Peter spoke up. "So are we going to perform the charm or not?"

James nodded. "Let's do it."

And the Potters had just made the biggest mistake of their lives.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I'm worried, James," Lily whispered to her husband. She and James were cuddled up on the couch, watching Harry play with his plush snitch on the floor. James kissed her forehead and rubbed her arms reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Lily," he said soothingly. "Nothing bad is going to happen."

"I sure hope you're right, James." Silence took over the house. Even Harry wasn't making any noise.

"It's Halloween and I'm not out trick-or-treating," Lily said, breaking the silence.

"Lils, please!" James rolled his eyes. He had learned about Muggle Halloween traditions in Muggle Studies. "You're too old for trick-or-treats."

Lily laughed. "Yeah. Imagine some old lady's expression if she saw me in a pink princess's costume on her front porch."

James laughed too. "_I_ wouldn't mind if you dress up like a pink princess."

Crack.

"What was that?" Lily asked, clinging on to James.

"Sounded like someone just apparated into our yard." James pulled back the window's curtain and peered around it. He saw the Dark Mark.

"L-Lily," he said shakily. "It's _him._"

Lily turn extremely pale. "James," she whispered. "What do we do?"

"Take Harry and go, Lily," James said, standing up. "Go--it's him!"

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine, Lily. Don't worry. Go--hurry!"

"James! I--"

"Get yourself and Harry out of here, quick!" James gave Lily a quick kiss. "Remember, no matter what happens--I'll always love you."

Lily nodded, and scooped Harry up. "Come on, Harry." Lily ran up the stairs as quick as she could. About mid-stairs, she heard the door burst open and Voldemort's evil laughter. As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, Lily saw a flashed of green light and she knew that James was gone. "James…" Lily whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. Lily ran down the hall and locked herself in Harry's room.

The door swung open and You-All-Know-Who-I'm-Talking-About came in.

"Give me the child," Voldemort whispered. He extended his arm. "Give him to me."

"No…" Lily said, backing up. "No!"

"Hand over the child now!"

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" Lily placed her son down and covered him.

"Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside, now…"

"No! Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead…"

"Stand aside, you fool! Give me the child!"

"Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…"

"You've force me to do this, fool. _Avada Kedavra!_"

Lily let out a cry as she began to fall. It was as if someone had hit a slow motion button. Her life flashed before her eyes. _A four-years-old Lily burst out crying when Petunia first called her a freak… A seven-years-old Lily accidentally blew up her broccoli… An eleven-years-old Lily crossing the Hogwarts' lake with her new friend, Arabella Figg… When James told her he loved her… When James proposed to her on the Ferris wheel… When she heard her baby's first cry… When Harry said his first word…_

Lily hit the floor with a thud…and a small smile. James's last words were still lingering in her mind.

I'll always love you. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Aw...What a sad ending. But we all know it was coming. Okay, this story is finally over! Whew! Major relief for me. I want to thank everybody for reading and reviewing. You guys are awesome. 

Okay, here's the little bit of information about my new story:

* It's going to be titled A Fairy Tale (It is **NOT** an AU [Alternate Universe] story)

* It's going to be rated PG-13 (for language, sexually related humor, and perhaps some romance scenes)

* It's going to be a romance/humor fic (You guys have always told me that some parts of this story were funny. So I decided to put more of it in this new one)

* And this is the summary: _Lily and James have always hated each other. Falling in love with one another was a thought that never even came close to crossing their minds…until it did. How? Why, with the help of some meddling friends, of course! Read and find out how this story twisted and turned Lily's life into a fairy tale...the one thing she feared most._

Sounds interesting? Well, here's a little taste of Chapter 1:

* "Where're you guys going?" James asked.

Sirius turned around. "Er…we're going to the…er…the girls' bathroom!"

Remus shot him a glare and mouthed, _What the hell are you thinking?_

"The girls' bathroom?" James looked confused. "Why?"

"Prongs!" Sirius cried. "What a question to ask! Jesus…how many reasons can there be for one to use a bathroom?" He hurried out the Great Hall. Peter shrugged and ran after his friend. James and the girls looked at the remaining boy curiously. Remus laughed nervously and said, "Er--see you guys later." He disappeared quickly. *

So, there you have it, folks. I'll post it as soon as my beta returns it. Until next time…bye-bye!

-i o u a name-


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